The Exchange Student
by MoonGoddessSerenity
Summary: Dreams and reality: how close they are depends on the mind. "I just want...I just wanted someone to love, and be loved by..." Maybe this Soma will get their wish...? Characters comming from Trigun, SM, LOTR, IY, YYH, and other random shows.
1. The Letter

A/N: ~*~Hay, peoples!! This is an idea I've had rolling around in my head since my friend forced me to watch Fruits Basket. (Lauren, if you're reading this, I have to thank you for getting me hooked on this show!!) So, I finally got around to typing this, and here it is! Read & Review, please! ~*~  
  
Disclaimer: I ONLY OWN MYSELF!! And the plot for the story, but that's about it. Me no own, you no sue!! I'm just a poor student! Don't kill me!  
  
The Exchange Student  
  
"WAHOO!! It's here!! It's here!! Finally!"  
  
Tohru leaped through the halls of Shigure Sohma's house. It was a Saturday morning, so most people would be sleeping in, but, due to her cries of bloody murder, there was a loud crash as Shigure, Yuki, and Kyo ran into the dining room.  
  
"What's wrong, Tohru?" "Are you all right?" "Why are you shrieking?" Were some of the frantic questions shot at her. "Nothing's wrong, but thanks for worrying, you guys." Everyone fell face-first into the floor.  
  
"Then why in the heck were you screaming bloody murder at 7:30 in the morning, on a Saturday," Asked a very ticked off Kyo. "Miss Honda, I believe what this stupid cat means is why were you so upset just a moment ago?"  
  
"Yes, Tohru, we were very worried that our little angel had gone and hurt herself."  
  
"Oh, I-I'm really sorry to have woken you up, but I just went to get the mail, and a letter from Courtney was in the box, so I just got really excited, and I guess I wasn't thin-"  
  
"It's all right, Tohru; we were just worried that something had happened to you. So, anyway, who is this Courtney person?" "Well, Kyo, remember that class assignment that we got for English Grammar? You know, where we received a pen pal from the States? Well, Courtney was mine. She's really amazing!  
  
She's 16 years old, but she'll be 17 this November; she's an only child, but she's not really that spoiled. But the other really amazing part about this project is that they get to come here for a year and live with us! This letter has her permission form in it, and all we need to know is if she can stay here or if she should go to a hotel." The room was as silent as the grave for a few minutes.  
  
That is, until Kyo's loud mouth came unzipped.  
  
"There is now way on Earth that we are getting some stupid Yankee is going to stay in this house! What if she finds out about the curse? What if Akito decides to have one of his fits about the whole thing? Did you even think about what could happen?"  
  
"Kyo, please, can't you see you're frightening our poor little flower? Tohru, as long as she doesn't hug us, I don't see the problem with it. Besides, it might be good to learn about another country first hand; for us, and for her."  
  
"Oh, thank you, Shigure! Now, all you have to do is sign this form to let the office know that we'll be having an exchange student with us, so that they know who to call if anything happens." ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
"Miss Honda, it's not that I wouldn't like to meet Miss Stardust, but why did we have to come along with you to the airport?"  
  
It was the day that the exchange student's would be arriving, and the airport was crowded with high school students, waiting for people to get off the planes.  
  
"For the thousandth time, Yuki, she said in her last letter that she'd like to be able to see everyone when she got of the plane." Yah, but how do you know what she looks like? And does she even know what YOU look like?" Kyo was probably the least enthusiastic of the group. He would have much rather stayed home thinking of ways to beat that darn rat.  
  
Shigure, on the other hand, had a very stupid little chant going through his head. 'High school girls, high school girls, all for me, high school girls!' "Ah, isn't that their plane landing now?"  
  
"Oh, yes you're right, Shigure! There she is! Courtney, were over here!" As she said this, all of the Sohma boys' heads turned in the direction of the terminal.  
  
A/N: Yes!! That was the entire story! *ducks as reviewers throw objects at Serenity* Hay, I was just joking, peoples!! That wasn't very funny! Here's a point I have been meaning to make: If you kill an author for giving you a cliff hanger, than how are you going to get the rest of the story? Interesting, ain't it? I write these things for 2 reasons: 1) Because I feel like it! 2) For reviews! So review this, and I just might post the rest of it! See ya! ~*~Serenity~*~  
  
~*~^_^~*~ 


	2. Meeting Courtney Stardust

A/N: K, here's the 2ed chappie for The Exchange Student. Hope that I answered your reviews with enough info!  
Hitomi-no-Hikari: Well, keep reading this little fic, and you will!  
ladyofthedragons1: Maybe. I couldn't think of another name to use, and I really didn't want to use Serenity again, so this'll have to do! I mean, you have to admit that Kyo is DEAD SEXY! *Basks as fellow Kyo fan girls applaud* I'm glad that you like it! At least someone thought that it was! Keep reading!  
  
Disclaimer: C'mon, you people aren't really that stupid, are you? Well, I only own myself, the plot, and nothing else that I can think of at the moment!  
  
The Exchange Student ~Meeting Courtney Stardust~  
  
~Last time~  
  
Shigure, on the other hand, had a very stupid little chant going through his head. 'High school girls, high school girls, all for me, high school girls!' "Ah, isn't that their plane landing now?"  
  
"Oh, yes you're right, Shigure! There she is! Courtney, were over here!" As she said this, all of the Sohma boys' heads turned in the direction of the terminal.  
  
~Now~  
  
Courtney Stardust was amazing. From where they were sitting she was, anyway. She had brown hair that came just past her shoulders. Deep amethyst-colored eyes, great tan, and a well-toned body.  
  
She stood about 5`8, and had the most curious expression on her face. She wore a faded pair of jeans and a dark purple T-shirt. She had 2 of her bags with her; and when she saw Tohru, her face went from lost to ecstatically happy. "Hay, Tohru! I'm so glad that I could come," she said. Her Japanese was flawless; you could hardly even here her English accent.  
  
Every single one of the boys' jaws dropped when they saw her. 'If that's her,' Kyo thought, 'then maybe this might not be so bad after all.'  
  
"Courtney! This is going to be so much fun! Lemme introduce you to the others. These boys are Shigure, Yuki, and Kyo Sohma." Tohru pointed to each one as she said their names, and they bowed.  
  
"Everyone, this is Courtney Stardust." "Hello! Thank you for letting me come. I hope that it wasn't too much trouble to let me stay with all of you while I'm here."  
  
"Now, I wouldn't hear of such a beautiful goddess sleeping in a cold, dank little hotel room," Shigure said, making Courtney blush. "Now, if you would be so kind as to tell me if you happen to have a boyfriend at the mome-" He began, only to be silenced by two very angry boys pounding him into the floor.  
  
"YOU SICK JERK!!" Kyo yelled at the very bruised dog. "Shigure, she just arrived, she's probably feeling jet lagged, and you still try to pry her personal information out of her? You've gone even lower than I thought you could go," Yuki added.  
  
Courtney and Tohru stood off to the side as the others caused quite a scene for the whole airport to see. "Tohru, do they always act like this," Courtney began. "Oh, no. Usually it's just Yuki and Kyo doing the fighting. They've hated each other for gods know how long."  
  
"And I get to put up with this for the entire time that I'm here? Interesting." Courtney said. "Oh, and by the way, Shigure, the answer to your question earlier is no, I don't have a boyfriend; haven't yet and I doubt that I will within the next year or so."  
  
Shigure, who had just gotten up off the floor, got a very hopeful look in his eyes. "And I don't date men over the age of 18, because I'm 16. So, you can get rid of that hopeful look on your face." She finished with a sad smile. The others just stood there staring at her. "Well, are we going to stand around here all day, or are we going to get the rest of Miss Stardust's luggage and get her back to the house?" Yuki asked. The others snapped out of their shock and went to the luggage rack to find her bags.  
  
"So, which ones are they, milady?" Shigure asked as they reached the belt. "Oh, there're about 6 of them, and they all are a purple, black, and silver swirl cases; with a crescent moon and a shooting star on them." She said. "We'll get them for you," Kyo volunteered. "Kyo, I didn't know that you could be so nice," Tohru said as they walked around looking for her friends bags.  
  
"Hay, Tohru?" Yah, Courtney?" "Just call me Serenity; kay, Tohru? All of my friends do. Anyway, why did you lie and say that you were living with three guys?"  
  
"But, I didn't lie. I do live with three guys." Tohru said, very confused at what her friend was saying. "Sorry, Tohru, but didn't you notice that you were living with two guys and a god?" Court-I mean Serenity said. A god? Tohru thought. What did she mean by a god?  
  
"Can you please explain, Serenity? I don't understand what you mean." She said. "Tohru, I'm talking about Kyo! You should have told me so that I could have had more time to prepare for when I have to fight my friends off of him. You might not have noticed, but the guy is freaking H-O-T! Hot!" Serenity explained.  
  
Wow. No one, other than Kagura, had ever referred to Kyo like that. What will his reaction be to this, she wondered. Tohru decided against telling Kyo anything, since this was a sort of personal topic.  
  
Just then, the boys walked up, each carrying 2 of Courtney's suitcases in their arms. "Yo, Courtney, what do you have in these things, anyway," Kyo said. "They weigh a ton." "Oh, just what I thought I should pack for a year away from home, that's all, Kyo." Courtney explained with a mischievous grin on her face. "And please, call me Serenity, Serena, or Sere; the rest of my friends do. Besides, any friend of Tohru's is a friend of mine."  
  
Everyone walked to the car and loaded the suitcases into the trunk. Fortunately, Hatori was driving, which saved the others from being killed from Shigure's so-called 'driving skills'. They made the rest of the introductions, and then left for the house.  
  
When they arrived, Tohru pulled Serenity out of the car, into the house, up the stairs, and into the room that they had prepared for her.  
  
The room was beautiful. The walls were painted soft periwinkle color, and the floor was very soft carpet. There was a beautiful 4-poster bead close to the window, and a desk made from the same light colored wood was next to it. The dresser was also made from the same type of wood.  
  
Tohru showed Serena how to work the window. If she pulled it open far enough, she could step out onto the balcony, which had a beautiful view of the backyard.  
  
"Tohru, you really didn't have to go to all that trouble just for me, you know." Serenity said as they waited for the boys to head up with their new guest's luggage. "I know that I didn't have to, but I wanted to dress it up a little, and then I think that the boys got a little carried away with the whole decorating process." Tohru giggled as she retold the whole hilarious incident.  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
Later at dinner, Tohru made the most delicious dish. When Kyo asked what they were having earlier, Shigure jumped I with, "Leaks, of course." This earned him a well deserved pounding. Serena told the others all about her life in the States, and they told about some of the more hilarious adventures that they had had. Leaving out everything to do with the curse, of course!  
  
That evening, while getting ready for bead, Courtney heard someone on the roof. She had to remember that Tohru had said that Kyo usually liked to sit up there for long periods of time. "If you ever need to find him," She had said, "just go to the highest place nearby. He really likes roofs for some reason or another."  
  
She smiled; then turned on her CD player. The song that she flipped to was Hillary Duff's 'Come Clean.' She opened her window and found herself singing along with the lyrics.  
  
"Let's go back  
  
Back to the beginning  
  
Back to when the earth, the sun, the stars, all aligned  
  
'Cause perfect didn't feel so perfect  
  
Trying to fit a square into a circle  
  
Was no life  
  
I defy  
  
Let the rain fall down  
  
And wake my dreams  
  
Let it wash away  
  
My sanity  
  
'Cause I wanna feel the thunder  
  
I wanna scream  
  
Let the rain fall down  
  
I'm coming clean, I'm coming clean  
  
I'm shedding  
  
Shedding every color  
  
Trying to find a pigment of truth  
  
Beneath my skin  
  
'Cause different  
  
Doesn't feel so different  
  
And going out is always better  
  
Than staying in  
  
Feel the wind  
  
Let the rain fall down  
  
And wake my dreams  
  
Let it wash away  
  
My sanity  
  
'Cause I wanna feel the thunder  
  
I wanna scream  
  
Let the rain fall down  
  
I'm coming clean, I'm coming clean  
  
I'm coming clean  
  
Let the rain fall  
  
Let the rain fall  
  
I'm coming  
  
Let the rain fall down  
  
And wake my dreams  
  
Let it wash away  
  
My sanity  
  
'Cause I wanna feel the thunder  
  
I wanna scream  
  
Let the rain fall down  
  
I'm coming clean, I'm coming clean  
  
Let's go back  
  
Back to the beginning"  
  
When she finished, she noticed a foot hanging over the edge of the roof. "Did you enjoy the show, Kyo?" She called out. The foot disappeared, but soon the rest of her single audience member jumped onto the balcony.  
  
"Where did you learn to sing like that," He questioned. "Well," she started, "I've been doing chorus classes every chance I get, so somewhere along the line. Why, was I really that bad?" He took one look at her face and saw amusement in her eyes. "No, t-that was really a-amazing." He sputtered out.  
  
"I should take that as a compliment, right? Thanks, by the way, for helping with decorating my room. You guys really didn't have to, you know."  
  
"I know. We did it because we wanted to, though. Do you like it?" "I wouldn't be telling you thanks of I didn't! Good night, Kyo; see ya in the morning!" She said; then went back in and closed the window.  
  
Kyo jumped back up on the roof, ran his hand through his bright orange hair, and sighed. 'Crap, why do all these girls keep moving in? Why can't I get a break? I just know that something's going to happen soon. And the end results won't be pretty, either,' he leaned back on the roof and looked at the stars. 'And why does this one have to be so darn gorgeous?'  
  
A/N: Yup! That's it for now! If you haven't gotten Hillary Duff's album, 'Metamorphosis,' then find someone who has it and listen to 'Come Clean.' I'm listening to it right now! Heh. It's a really great song! Anyway, please review! I want, like, 3 more reviews for this chapter at LEAST! Then I'll try to put up the next chappie. Also, if you've read my Truth or Dare fic, I said 5 reviews WITH DARES on them! Don't you people get that I ran out of dares to use before I was born?! Truths are accepted, also. If you want to be in either this fic or my Truth or Dare one, please add that onto your review, along with a description of your person and the name you want me to use. Tankies ta all!!  
  
~*~Serenity~*~  
  
~*~^_^~*~ 


	3. Courtney's Past & Skills

A/N: ~*~Hi, again! Thanks for all the reviews, peoples! I'm glad that so many of you enjoyed this! Well, here are some answers to the rest of your reviews!  
  
Aiden Sadi: Well, that's about what I do every day, so don't feel bad! I haven't gotten around to reading your fic yet, but I will, I must! Enjoy!  
  
pluto kiss: Well, I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion of music, but I just wanted to put that one song in this fic. You'll defiantly see a lot of Evanesance in this, though. Why on God's green earth do people make these characters gay?! It just. WRONG! I mean, I don't have anything against gay people, but it's just sick! These people weren't gay in the anime, and I doubt that they were in the manga, so tell me again why they are gay on ff.net? Besides, if I don't feel like writing a Kyo/Tohru fic, than I'll write one with him and my little person!  
  
Now, I KNOW that I started rambling there, sorry! Just had to get that out of my system. There! All better! Enjoy the fic! Oh, before I forget, there may be a few Sailor Moon characters in this fic, when we find out about Courtney's past, K? Review when you're done, and I may update sooner!  
  
Disclaimer: If I could own any animated guy I wanted, it would be someone from my hottie list, + some. *sigh* I guess that some things will never come true, no matter how much you wish.  
  
The Exchange Student  
  
~Courtney's Skills & Past~  
  
The weekend was over, and it was time for another week in the Halls of Torture to begin. Tohru had made breakfast as usual, and the others were just getting ready to leave in peace.  
  
Until Yuki & Kyo had to have their morning brawl.  
  
Kyo was too busy working at trying to at least land one good punch to that stupid rat that he didn't even notice when Serena entered the kitchen.  
  
"Uh, whenever you two are done fighting over who gets the last piece of toast, then I'll just grab something to eat; without getting my neck broken."  
  
Both boys stopped abruptly as their guest's voice echoed through the room. "Miss Stardust, please forgive our rude behavior. Had we known that you were in the room, I can assure you that this wouldn't have occurred." Yuki stated. Kyo just rolled his eyes.  
  
"Just give it a rest, will ya, you stupid rat? I don't think that she would have cared, as long as we didn't hurt her. She just wanted to make sure that we didn't break something or someone."  
  
This probably shocked Yuki and Shigure, seeing as Kyo didn't really have any manners. Of course, Shigure just HAD to throw his two-cents in. "Aw, Kyo, we didn't know that you had such wonderful manners! I guess that, since you seem to love this lovely goddess, that it would make perfect senc- "  
  
He was quickly silenced by a smack in the head from a very ticked off neko. "If you ever make a crack like that again, I swear that I'll shove it down your throat, you sick idiot." He seethed.  
  
Tohru, who had been standing off to the side this whole time, finally spoke up. "Um, don't you think that we should get ready, before we're late again?" She asked timidly.  
  
At this, everyone took off to get changed, except for Shigure and Serena. "Um, Shigure? Can I ask you something?"  
  
Shigure looked up from the floor, where he was still lying. "Of course you can, Serena. What's on your mind?"  
  
"Well, do they do that every morning? You know, so that I can come down for breakfast prepared to defend myself from a bunch of flying bodies?"  
  
The dog had to laugh at this. "Well, those two have never really seen eye to eye, so they made a morning routine out of it. Don't worry, you'll get used to it after awhile," he assured her.  
  
"Thanks, Shigure; you know, when you aren't acting like a little growing teen, then you can actually be pretty sweet. I guess I better go get ready to face the NEW Halls of Torture."  
  
With that, she raced upstairs, leaving a very perky Shigure on the floor, thinking his stupid little chant again.  
  
"Yo, Serena, if you don't mind, I think that some of us would like to get to school on time today!" Kyo yelled up the stairs.  
  
"You know, if you would just hold on to your britches for a minute, then you might be able to see that I'm coming!" As she said this, Serena came bounding down the stairs. Everyone's jaws dropped in shock at what she was wearing.  
  
Serena had on a pair of black slacks and a black long-sleeved shirt. It was pretty much like the boy's uniform, except for a few alterations to fit her body.  
  
"What are you wearing," the cat asked. "The school uniform, Kyo; what else?" Was her simple reply. "Miss Stardust, why are you wearing the boys' uniform? It's just,-" "What, not normal? Don't get me wrong, I think that dresses are all right, but I just can't wear them every day. Besides, doesn't Momiji ware the girls' uniform to school?" She asked.  
  
With that, they arrived at the school in record time. Tohru introduced her to Uo & Hana. "So, we got another Yankee here, hmm?" Uo said. "Well, glad ta meet ya!" "Yes, your electric signals are very strong, but there is something. strange about them." Hana remarked in a cryptic tone.  
  
The others went silent as Serena smiled and said, "Well, I would imagine that is because they aren't too far from matching yours; am I right, Miss Hanajima?" She matched Hana's tone perfectly.  
  
This made the electric girl smile, then laugh. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief as they entered the building.  
  
The first half of the day passed as expected. Courtney was surrounded by people asking her questions about her life in the States. Other than that, it was pretty normal.  
  
But, during lunch, something big happened. The gang was inside on the main hallway, when some punk approached Serena. He had some greasy dark-brown, almost black hair. He also had this very cocky swagger. He came up to the newest Yankee, then put his arm on her shoulder.  
  
"Hay, doll face. What'd you say to ditchin' these losers and follow me for some real fun?" Kyo was ready to beat this guy to a bloody pulp, when she shot him a look as if to say, 'I can handle this; don't worry.'  
  
"Did you say for some fun? That sounds good to me. You see, I've been dying to stretch my legs since I got off the plane Saturday morning." With this, she grabbed the obnoxious boy's hand and proceeded to flip him over. Then, she picked him up off of the ground, kneed him, and then spun him around so he was facing away from her.  
  
"First off, I don't date slimy grease-balls who think that all girls are easy. Second, you can keep those daydreams in your head and tell your friends, if you have any, that I refuse to have to be in the presence of someone like you. Third, I've already got my eye on someone, so keep your greasy little paws away from me. Otherwise, I may have to send Kyo after you, which I can guarantee would be a swifter death than what I would give you. Ta ta!"  
  
After she said this, she threw him out of the door, which Tohru had been holding open for quite some tome; due to the fact that she was frozen in shock at what her friend was doing.  
  
Kyo and Yuki were in a state of shock. Yuki doubted that she could have done that without some sort of training. He was about to ask her about that, but Kyo beat him to it.  
  
"Where in the world did you learn to do that? I mean, you just threw that guy out of the building, without any trouble!" "Um," Courtney blushed, "I do have a black belt, you know."  
  
It was Yuki's turn to speak up. "But, why didn't you tell us?" "How come you never asked?" was all she replied. Let's just say that, no on else bothered her for a LONG time after that.  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
Later that evening, Kyo was sitting on the roof, as usual. He was thinking about what happened earlier at school, when he heard a loud banging noise coming from Courtney's room. He jumped down onto the balcony, and when he looked through the window, he gasped.  
  
Courtney was wearing a deep purple sports bra, with matching athletic pants. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and she had some type of cloth tied around her feet and hands. [A/N: You know when you see some boxers or some type of athlete.]  
  
She was attacking a punching bag with a whole lot of force. Kyo had never seen anyone train as hard as that, except maybe him. Finally, he decided to speak up.  
  
"Um, Courtney? What are you doing," He asked. She stopped when she heard his voice. "Oh, Kyo! I didn't see you there! I was just, um, well."  
  
"Training? Don't worry, I knew that. Bout the real question is, what are you training for?" 'Hah! She can't get out of this one! She'll have to tell me where she learned to fight like that now!'  
  
She walked over to her desk, picked up a water bottle, then continued with her explanation. "Well, you see, when I was little, I lost both my parents in a plane crash. I lived at this really horrible orphanage for a year, praying that someone would come and get me out.  
  
Then, one day, these ladies came and said that they were here to take me to a much better place. Of course, I rushed to my room and grabbed all of my things, then left with them.  
  
I found out that their names were Serena, Mina, Amy, Reye, and Lita. They said that they were going to take me to a place where I would be happy, and that I would never know pain again.  
  
Turns out that they ran a school. Well, more of a martial arts school, to be exact. They taught me everything! I learned more about the world than I would've at a regular school, including fencing, music, and fighting.  
  
I grew to become one of the best students at Moonbeam Academy, and a lot of the younger students look up to me. I received my black belt at the age of ten; Reye said that all of my pent up anger probably helped me train. She mainly runs the fire reading part of the place.  
  
Amy's the head of our educational sector; Lita is our head chef, not to mention one of the best fighters on this side of the planet; Mina is a little more of the drama person; Amara pretty much runs all motor sports, Michelle is very artistic, so she runs our music & art department.  
  
Then there's Serena. Neo Queen Serenity, if you want her full title. She is the most amazing person. She taught me to be the best that I can be, and to never give up, no matter how desperate the situation is.  
  
Her husband, King Endymoin, is also a wonderful person. He helps a lot of troubled young boys reach their full potential. Their daughter, Rini, is so sweet. She's about 14 now. She has this. air about her that makes you feel like a little kid again, you know? Her fiancé, Helios, is really cool, too. He has this thing with dreams, though, which seems to keep the rest of us perky all the time.  
  
Then there's Hotaru. She's our age, Rini's best friend, and an amazing person. I guess you could say that she has this connection with the Shadow Realm, you know, the after life? But she has to be the complete opposite of that; if you go by personality.  
  
That's about it. Is there anything else you want to know?"  
  
This woke Kyo from the trance that he had been put under by her shocking story. "I-I'm so sorry. I mean, I had n-no i-idea that your life was so rough."  
  
"Don't be sorry, Kyo. I've learned a lot from all of these trials in my life. I know that I had it a lot easier than you did, though. I keep telling Tohru that she doesn't need to worry so much about me. I've lived this long with all of this, so she doesn't need to fret that I'll just get some really weird disease from living with all this pain."  
  
They just stood there in complete silence for a while. Finally, Kyo spoke up. "Um, I was just wondering if you would like to go grab some lunch with me this weekend?" 'Crap! Why did I have to let my mouth rush ahead without thinking?! Again! Now she'll probably think that I'm just like that weird creep at school today!'  
  
"Sure, Kyo. Where and what time?" 'Huh? Did she just say, sure?' "Ah. how about Saturday around noon. Um, that little café across the street from the school?"  
  
"All right. See you there, then." "Yah; see you there." With that, a very happy little neko left the room to get some sleep.  
  
As soon as Kyo left the room, Courtney's cell phone started ringing. She jumped across the room and picked up.  
  
"Talk to me," She said. "Have you run into any problems yet," Asked a voice from the other end.  
  
Courtney sighed. "No, milady; I haven't. Fortunately, I have met Tohru. She really is something special, you know. Shigure is a pretty decent fellow, when he isn't acting like a hentai. Yuki is a pretty good guy; but with all of the abuse he suffered from Akito, at least, that's what you told me, he has some problems that he needs to work out.  
  
Then there's Kyo. I mean, the guy has issues with his mother. Then, I know that there's something he isn't telling me; I get that from all of them. But he's really a great guy, and he doesn't judge me because of my past and training."  
  
"Have you told him about us yet?" "Yes, and he's very impressed with the track record of the school. He's taking me out for lunch on Saturday, though."  
  
Another voice spoke on the line, this time, it belonged to a man. "Have you come into contact with him yet?"  
  
"No sir. I don't think that he even knows that I'm here yet." "Remember, if he finds out that you're here-" "Than disaster will engulf the entire world, right, Luna? Well, I don't plan on having some creep abduct me any time soon, all right? Just calm down, after all, this was my idea. It's not like anything is illegal, you know.  
  
I just came here to meet my pen pal, and all of you jump on me like its some intergalactic case, or something! I appreciate ya'll worrying about me, but I'm not the little 4 year old that you saved from that evil orphanage anymore."  
  
"Courtney, we are simply trying to keep you safe, you know that after what I've been through in the past thousand some years has put me on edge. I don't want to have anyone go through what I had to. Please, just keep in touch with us, all right?"  
  
Courtney smiled. "I promise hime. Tell Rini & Hota that I said hi." "Will do, Stardust; will do." "Bye, guys." "Good-Bye."  
  
Courtney hung up the phone, changed into her pjs, then went to sleep.  
  
Little did she know that the person she had been speaking of was well aware of her presence, and already forming a course of action against the young American.  
  
A/N: *wipes sweat from forehead* Whew! I finally finished the third chapter! Now, can anybody guess who this mystery person is? Anybody? Well, Courtney should find out about the curse in the next chappie, so don't fret! Unlike Tohru, Courtney really isn't that big of a touchy feely person. Any suggestions on how she find out would be greatly appreciated! This all takes place after the series, but I might use some scenes from the show, just a little different, k? I have most of the story worked out in my head, but suggestions are greatly accepted! How will Kyo and Courtney's date go? Will someone screw everything up before it even starts? Well, did you honestly think that I would tell you without some reviews?! *doges flying objects pelted by readers* Hay! Don't kill me until I have a chance to finish this story! Review please!  
~*~Serenity~*~  
  
~*~^_^~*~ 


	4. Discoveries

~*~Hello, again! *sniff* no one has reviewed in ages! Hello, is anyone out there? This is just killin' me, ya know?! *sigh* Well, I decided ta update anyway, so you can only blame yourselves from now on if the updates don't come within 2 months! That's right! You are the pure evil peoples! I am only a servant of the pen & keyboard! Soft of. Oh, well! Here're the answers to the reviews from those of you that reviewed! You are my inspiration!  
  
inu87yasha: Whoa! You don't have to shout so loud! I could here you perfectly fine if you just talked a little loudly!  
  
pluto kiss: Yup! They DO exist! There are a few more out there. somewhere. I just read your story, and I thought that it was really stellar! I hope that you enjoy!  
  
ElvenQueenSelenity: You know, if you would just TRY a little, than maybe you would know what a talented young Elvin Queen you are! Now that you've FINALLY seen the show, you should be able ta understand it better!  
  
Aiden Sadi: *gulp* Ah, could you just keep it away from me until I finish this story please? My friend chibichibirini got VERY upset when she heard that you didn't watch SM. So, she put a little thing about the show in a review for my Truth or Dare fic. *sigh* she can be just a little hyper sometimes. Well, if you think that you've figured out who Stardust is, then send me an e-mail, and I'll let you know if you are right or wrong. maybe. Enjoy!  
  
Geoff: Hay, thx for reviewing! Glad that ya liked it!  
  
Well, if you want more stuff after this chappie, then you'll have to review, alright? It was really hard to figure out how to make Stardust find out about the curse, so if you think that it sucks, it's your own damn fault! I asked for ideas, and no one answered! I feel so alone! *grabs Kyo plushie and holds VERY tight* Oh, I think that I forgot to mention that this all takes place after episode 26. So, I think that it means that they are in class 3-D now. If you want to know what's going to happen, then either you can shut up and read then review or you can send me 1 ton of chocolate! Yup, that's my asking price, and it ain't goin' down! If you don't review, I will find out who you are, then send you 500,000,000,000 e- mails full of spam! Mwahahaaha! *coughs* well, here's the story!  
  
Disclaimer: The other day at school, I spent all of my money on lunch. All the other peoples keep asking me for money. Do you know what I ALLWAYS tell them? I DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY! Bakas.  
  
The Exchange Student ~Discoveries~  
  
As soon as he left Courtney's room, Kyo had this goofy grin on his face. The only thoughts going through his mind were something along the lines of, 'How in earth did I just get a date with one of the hottest girls that I've ever seen?' and, 'Holy crap! What if she tries to hug me?!'  
  
The later was probably running across the most, though. He headed back to his room to try and get some sleep; but, of course, his heart was still pounding in his chest.  
  
Shigure, who had been listening in farther down the hall, smiled to himself as he saw Kyo leave her room. "Ah, young love!" He sighed; then headed back downstairs before anyone woke up to tell him off.  
  
Around 3:30 A.M., Tohru heard someone softly calling her name. She opened her eyes to see Courtney sitting on the edge of her bed. "Hay, Tohru. Sorry that I woke you up, but I just really needed to talk to you; is that alright," She asked.  
  
Tohru sat up, and then smiled. "Of course it is! "Well, then, what's up?" "Well, Kyo came into my room earlier this evening, we talked, and then he asked me out this Saturday for some lunch around noon."  
  
Tohru practically jumped through the roof at this. "WHAT?! HE DID?! THEN WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?!" She boomed. Courtney, who was lying on the floor by this point, gave Tohru 'the look', and then said, "Jeez, do you think you can scream a little louder? I don't think that you woke up the rest of the house yet."  
  
She sighed, then continued. "Yes, he did, and yes, I said that I would. But, the thing is, I can tell that there's something ya'll are keeping from me that I should know, or that I'll find out about before I go home; am I right?"  
  
This left Tohru silent for awhile, as well as making their audience outside hold their breath. "Um. well, you see." she began, but Courtney cut her off. "You know, just forget it, Tohru. I'll find out eventually. But thanks for letting me talk to you. Good night, Rice ball," she called as she walked out of the room.  
  
Unfortunately for the group of people outside, she slid open the door and they all fell in. "SHIGURE! YUKI! HOW DARE YOU LISTEN IN ON OUR CONVRESATION, YOU JERKS!" Stardust boomed. At this point, Kyo came out of his room to see what was disturbing the quiet night air. "What the heck did they do this time?" He asked.  
  
When he looked down at the floor, his jaw dropped in shock at what he saw. Courtney had piled a VERY bruised dog & rat on the floor, while she stood over them, almost glowing in fury.  
  
"Oh, just the usual, Kyo," Tohru explained from behind the door. "Yah, just go bask to sleep, Kyo" Courtney said. He shrugged, and then did as he was told.  
  
"Jeez, why did you have to hit us so hard, huh?" Shigure asked while rubbing his head. Yuki had already gotten up, but had to lean against the wall to keep from falling again. "Shigure, Yuki, if you aren't out of my sight in the next 3 seconds, I will make sure that you will NEVER be able to have children, do I make myself clear?" Then she started the countdown.  
  
"One."  
  
They jumped up.  
  
"Two."  
  
They ran down the hall and into their rooms.  
  
"Three. Well, that was fairly easy. You okay, Tohru?" Tohru was standing in a state of shock from what had just happened. "Huh? Oh, yah, I'm fine. Look, we better get some sleep now, alright?"  
  
"Yah, 'night, Rice Ball!" Stardust said cheerfully, and then bounded off to her room to dream about the possibilities of Saturday.  
  
Well, the week went by fairly quickly, but for Kyo, it just seemed to drag by VERY slowly. Poor guy just barley kept from blowing a fuse in class. His overactive imagination kept him from doing his best in class, but he did try! Certain..images..kept popping up, no matter how hard he tried to keep them out. Pictures of the star holding a little orange neko; of him running away like he did whenever Kagura popped up, and other similar shots.  
  
By the time Saturday rolled around, he was a nervous wreck. Despite the fact that he wasn't really into style, he had rooted through his ENTIRE closet, trying to find the perfect outfit. Kyo had to settle for his good ole standby: A pair of kaki pants and a black t-shirt. He looked at his clock. 'Crap! 11:45! If I don't hurry up and leave, she'll think that I stood her up!' With that, he raced down the stairs and out the door.  
  
They had agreed to meet at The Midnight Lounge. It was the little café fight across the street from Kawaia High, so most people went there after school. Kyo entered the building, and then took a look around, seeing as he hadn't been in there before.  
  
The place was decorated in navy blue wallpaper with moons, suns, and stars printed across it in gold. The floor was black, a good amount of tables and chairs, even a stage. He took a seat, and waited.  
  
Around 11:55, Kyo looked up to see Stardust standing in the front of the lounge. She was wearing a pair of black slacks, black tank top, black pumps, and she had the top part of her hair pulled back in a moon barrette. When she saw Kyo, she smiled, and then walked over to the table.  
  
"Hay, nice place you picked," she said. "You have good taste. So, what' sup?" After getting over his initial reaction, they began to talk about everything under the sun. They ordered some miso soup and a glass of Dr. Pepper each. Around 12:45, Courtney stood up. "Well," she said, "There's a karaoke stage up there that looks lonely. Do you mind?" Kyo gave her this funny look, and then said, "Sure. Be my guest." By this time, a pretty good crowd had gathered. As she approached the stage, everyone else's conversations dropped to a hushed whisper. She popped in a disk, then began. It was the Evanesance song, 'Going Under', which seemed to be very popular with this crowed. "Now I will tell you what I've done for you," was all she had to sing to capture the entire café's attention.  
  
"50 thousand tears I've cried  
  
screaming deceiving and bleeding for you  
  
and you still won't hear me  
  
don't want your hand this time I'll save myself  
  
maybe I'll wake up for once  
  
not tormented daily defeated by you  
  
just when I thought I'd reached the bottom  
  
I'm dying again"  
  
Kyo couldn't believe it. 'Gods,' he thought. 'I'm on a date with an angel.'  
  
" I'm going under  
  
drowning in you  
  
I'm falling forever  
  
I've got to break through  
  
I'm going under  
  
blurring and stirring the truth and the lies  
  
so I don't know what's real and what's not  
  
always confusing the thoughts in my head  
  
so I can't trust myself anymore  
  
I'm dying again"  
  
He didn't move a muscle; for fear that he would wake up and find that it was all a dream.  
  
"I'm going under  
  
drowning in you  
  
I'm falling forever  
  
I've got to break through  
  
so go on and scream  
  
scream at me I'm so far away  
  
I won't be broken again  
  
I've got to breathe I can't keep going under  
  
I'm dying again  
  
I'm going under  
  
drowning in you  
  
I'm falling forever  
  
I've got to break through  
  
I'm going under Going under Going under"  
  
The entire place erupted in applause. Stardust gave a humongous grin, took a bow, and then went to rejoin Kyo. "Well, I didn't think it was that bad," She said. He blinked a few times, and then said, "That. Was. Amazing. I didn't think that anyone could sing like that. Now I know why Shigure called you a goddess."  
  
"Oh, stop it; your making me blush," she said. He looked at her cheeks, and they were a pale rose color. "Well, it's the truth! I mean, did you ever sing professionally?" They were heading outside as he said this, so they had to squint to see, since it was so bright out.  
  
"No, never. It's just a hobby, that's all." They continued to walk down the street, admiring the crisp, autumn weather. They were almost to the path back to the house, when they heard a voice behind them. "Well, well, if it isn't the other witch that has taken our beloved Prince Yuki even farther from us. You should be ashamed of yourself."  
  
Stardust & Kyo turned around to come face-to-face with the Yuki Fan Club President Matoko. [sp?] Kyo was about to tell them something rather vulgar, when "Look, no offense, but Yuki just ain't my type. Nice guy and all, but, I mean, the guy reminds me of some gay friend that I had, except minus the gay part."  
  
That did it. "HOW DARE YOU INSULT OUR BELOVED PIINCE YUKI!! YOU AREN"T A WITCH, YOU'RE A-" "Member of the Celestial Squadron at The Moonbeam Academy. Now, I suggest that unless you want to have your faces forever imprinted in the sidewalk, be a love and go build a Yuki statue; instead of bugging the crap out of me."  
  
The girls backed off. As they turned to leave, though, Matoko shoved Courtney backwards into Kyo.  
  
*POOF*  
  
She had managed to brace herself before she hit the ground, but she also happened to see Kyo's clothes everywhere. 'O.K, this is just too weird. Where did he go, and what was that poof that I heard?'  
  
"Um, do you mind getting off of me?" Kyo's muffled voice came from underneath her back. "Oh! Sorry! You.o.k.?" Where she had expected to see Kyo was a little orange neko. "Ah, hay, Courtney. Look, don't freak out, but, um, dang it, why does this have to happen?"  
  
While he was trying to figure out what to say, Stardust burst out laughing. "So this was what you were hiding from me? Hahaha! Sorry, but..*giggle* I thought that you were going to say that it was something like, well, I don't know now. So, the secret is that when someone bumps into you, you'll turn into a cat?"  
  
She stood up; giggled some more then picked up the chibi neko Kyo, his clothes, and headed back to the house. "Well," he began, "not exactly. You see, when we're hugged by a member of the opposite sex, then we turn into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac, plus the cat. But, Tohru's the only one that's not a member of the Sohma clan that's lived in this house, until you came along.  
  
"Then, the other problem is that when we turn back, we're-"  
  
*POOF*  
  
"-naked; sorry, tried to warn you," He said as she dropped him. Courtney quickly covered her eyes before she saw anything. "Oh, gods! I'm so sorry!" She said. "I really do feel bad for ya'll, you know." Kyo finished putting on his shirt. "Don't worry about it. I promise it'll be alright. You can look now." He said.  
  
She turned around to see that his face was starting to clash with his hair. She smiled, but he could tell that there was something else behind it. A look he hoped he would never see on her face, even if it was hidden behind her smile.  
  
Pain.  
  
As they headed back to the house, he explained that they would have to tell Shigure and the others, because they needed to know, unfortunately. "I don't mind," she said. "If they need to know, then go ahead and tell them. Besides, it's your curse, after all."  
  
They reached the house to find Shigure outside. He saw the looks on their faces, and knew what happened. "Kyo, how much have you told her about it?" He asked. "Just the basics, that's all, Shigure."  
  
"Well, in that case," Shigure stood up from his chair, crossed the room, and sat down next to Stardust. He then explained about as much as Tohru had learned, while Yuki sat at the table, Tohru stood at the kitchen door, and Kyo leaned against the wall, looking at the floor.  
  
When he finished, Courtney said, "So, that's what you were afraid to tell me," she laughed. "I've seen worse in my life, and yet you still can't trust me with everything, because I've only been here for a little while. Please, you can't tell Akito that I know about your secret. I can't tell you too much right now, but I can tell you this: If he finds out that I'm here, the world as we know it will be over. Now, please excuse me, I just want to be alone right now."  
  
She stood up to leave. As she reached the door, however, Kyo blocked her way. "What's wrong, Courtney? C'mon, tell me," HE said. "Kyo, the only problem that I have right now is that after I told you something that I usually don't tell people that I've just met, you still couldn't trust me with something so trivial. Please just leave me alone right now," She said. Then, with tears in her eyes, she ran up the stairs to her room.  
  
'Courtney.' Kyo thought. 'What have I done to you?'  
  
A/N: Yes! Another chapter is done!! YAY!! Now, see that little button in the bottom left hand corner of the screen? Click 'go,' then send me a review! I want at least 2 reviews before I update so if you wanna know what happens, then review! Tankies! Remember, if you have any ideas as to who Stardust is, then just send me an e-mail or an IM, alright? So, review, and I'll give you a cookie! Ja!  
  
~*~Serenity~*~  
~*~^_^~*~ 


	5. The Truth Hurts, Kyo LIVE WITH IT!

~*~ Hello again! Here's the 5th chapter, so I hope you enjoy it! Well, I'm just going to update this; 'cause for some reason, I like this fic the best of all the ones I've written. However, I'm happy, 'cause Wednesday was my birthday! Wahoo! This chapter's probably going to be shorter than the others, because I just fell into a little writers block. Yah, don't you hate those? Well, enjoy!~*~  
  
Disclaimer: C'mon, do I really need to tell you people this again?  
  
The Exchange Student ~ The Truth Hurts, Kyo. LIVE WITH IT! ~  
  
~*~Last Time~*~  
  
She stood up to leave. As she reached the door, however, Kyo blocked her way. "What's wrong, Courtney? C'mon, tell me," HE said. "Kyo, the only problem that I have right now is that after I told you something that I usually don't tell people that I've just met, you still couldn't trust me with something so trivial. Please just leave me alone right now," She said. Then, with tears in her eyes, she ran up the stairs to her room.  
  
'Courtney.' Kyo thought. 'What have I done to you?'  
  
~*~Now~*~  
  
She ran into her room, tears poring freely down her face now. 'How could you do this to me, Kyo,' she thought. 'How could you betray my trust? I already have a heard time with trusting people, but this....'  
  
Stardust got up from her spot by the door, then changed into her pjs, seeing as how late it had gotten. She lay down on her bed, and softly cried herself to sleep.  
  
Later that evening, Kyo approached her door. He knocked softly, nervous as hell. When she didn't answer, he slid open the door. What he saw pulled all the right strings in his heart.  
  
She was laying on top of the covers, bathed in moonlight. She was wearing a pair of purple silk pants with a floral print on them. Her shirt was a pale purple spaghetti-strap top, which showed off a lot of skin. He noticed that even with her tear-stained face, she still managed to look like an angel.  
  
Kyo crossed the room, sat down on the edge of the bed, and almost cried himself. "Court," he whispered, "I never meant to hurt you like this. No, I never meant to hurt you at all. It's just....we don't have too many people outside the family know about the secret. I swear, I won't' let Akito know anything about you being here, but what I still don't understand is why you're so secretive about your life, when it looks like you've had the most wonderful life...."  
  
He leaned forward and, without thinking, kissed her cheek. Kyo then stood up, and left through the window.  
  
The fallen angel opened her eyes, and then touched her cheek where the neko had left a light kiss. 'Why did he do that," She asked herself.  
  
She stood up, and, making sure that no one else was round, changed into a pair of deep blue athletic pants with a matching t-shirt. She pulled her hair into a loose ponytail, then slipped on a pair of sneakers and headed out the door into the woods.  
  
Kyo was sitting on the roof, thinking of ways to apologize to his angel. 'My angel,' he thought, 'since when has she been mine? Damnit, Kyo, pull yourself together.' This was about a half an hour after he had left her room, and he was still unsure if when was awake or not when he kissed her.  
  
That's when he heard a scream coming from the woods; followed by a roar. He was sure that he knew the voice, but, 'It couldn't be..' he thought.  
  
Kyo jumped down onto the balcony, and when he liked through the window.. "She's gone."  
  
~*~ Yes, I'm evil!! Mawhahahahahahahaha *cough* hahahahaha! *Dodges objects thrown by readers* Hay! Watch it, people! If you want more, then review!! I know that this was a pretty quick update, but I DEMAND that I receive at least 5 reviews before I give you chapter 6! However, since I'm feeling nice today, I'll give you a sneak peak at the next chapter. Review and it'll come faster!  
  
Kyo was running through the house when Shigure stopped him. "Kyo, what was that screaming noise?" Kyo almost ran him over trying to get out the door. "It's Courtney. She's out in the woods. I think that something's gotten to her already, because she wasn't in her room when I just checked. Stay here, and make sure that no one follows." Without another thought, he raced out the door and into the woods; without even waiting for the dog's reply.  
  
He kept running, following the shouts and thuds that he could just hear. Finally, he came upon a clearing, where he saw something lurking in the shadows, ready to strike; and on the forest floor was... "Dear gods, no. This can't be happening!"  
  
Yup! That's all you get until you review! If you do, you might even get a chance to appear as a special guest in here! See, reviewing DOES pay off! See ya next time!  
  
~*~Serenity~*~  
~*~^_^~*~ 


	6. Let in the Light, Free the Truth

~*~Hello again! Yes, this is the 6th chapter for this fic, & I'm happy! Don't' ask why, I just am. Well...yah....I'm all tongue-tied at the moment, so sorry bout that! Just enjoy! Oh, yah, there will be NO MORE disclaimers in this fic! Ya'll know the same thing! I only own myself! ~*~  
  
~*~The Exchange Student~*~ ~Let in the Light, Free the Truth~  
  
*About 5 minutes prior to the screams*  
  
As she was jogging through the woods, she came upon a clearing near a stream. The water glittered in the moonlight; the grass was wet with due. As she stopped to catch her breath, she noticed that it was quiet. Too quiet, if you asked her what she thought.  
  
Stardust slowly stood up as she heard the approaching footsteps, then turned around at a voice.  
  
"I assume that you would be the one I am looking for, are you not?" The voice would have sent cold chills down most peoples spines, but she didn't even flinch.  
  
"Well, that depends on who you are looking for, doesn't it?" She slowly turned around to see something standing in the shadows. Its body appeared to be a grotesque form of some kind, but she barely seemed to notice.  
  
The figure stood up taller, reaching its full height of roughly 8 feet. "Would you be the one they call Stardust? For if you are, I have orders to take you back to my master, one way or another." "Like I said, I'm called a lot of things, but I really couldn't say if I was who you are looking for or not," she smirked then. "You seem like an intelligent person, tell me, if I tell you my name, will you tell me yours, and who sent you?"  
  
"Of course," the creature replied. "I am called Balthazar, & I was sent by the one you know as Akito Sohma. Now, Stardust, you can come peacefully, or by force."  
  
By this point, Balthazar had gotten into a fighting stance, ready to strike should the need arise. "As I've said before, I will NEVER join him in that evil place. If you want me, you'll never take me alive."  
  
She too crouched into a fighting stance as he lunged at her. Stardust managed to just move aside. Despite his size, he was very fast. He lunged at her again, this time hitting her in the side, tearing her shirt & drawing a lot of blood. She screamed as he lunged at her with a roar, smacking her across the head, knocking her to the ground.  
  
*Now* Kyo was running through the house when Shigure stopped him. "Kyo, what was that screaming noise?" Kyo almost ran him over trying to get out the door. "It's Courtney. She's out in the woods. I think that something's gotten to her already, because she wasn't in her room when I just checked. Stay here, and make sure that no one follows." Without another thought, he raced out the door and into the woods; without even waiting for the dog's reply.  
  
He kept running, following the shouts and thuds that he could just hear. Finally, he came upon a clearing, where he saw something lurking in the shadows, ready to strike; and on the forest floor was.... "Dear gods, no. This can't be happening!"  
  
Courtney was taking sharp, ragged breaths; and she seemed to be in pain every time she inhaled. Blood was everywhere. It was gushing from her arms, legs, stomach, head; the ground was soaked with it, all hers. The creature barely had a scratch on it! Kyo felt his blood begin to boil as he tried to get close to her, when...  
  
"Kyo! Stay where you are," she called out in a hoarse voice, "This does not concern you! Get away from here!" He froze for a moment, then said, "Courtney, what the hell's wrong with you?! You need to get medical attention right away! How in the seven hells did this happen to you anyhow? Just let me-"  
  
"KEEP AWAY, KYO!" she shrieked. She stood up, shakily, and then turned to face the shadowy figure. "I've had enough of this! Playtime is OVER, Balthazar! If you even think about it, I will blow you to pieces so small, that you won't even be able to reform yourself."  
  
Too late. Balthazar was already heading towards Kyo, still in an attack position. Kyo barley dodged a swing from one of his might hands, & received a deep slice on his forehead. Kyo fell to the ground, blood dripping into his left eye.  
  
That was all it took.  
  
There was a blast of a dark purple and silver energy shot at Balthazar. Kyo whirled around to see Stardust radiating with the purple and silver aura. Her forehead shown with a deep violet eight-pointed star behind a silvery gold, upside down crescent moon. Blood was still pouring from her body, if not worse than before.  
  
She walked over to where the main part of Balthazar's body lay, breathing heavily. "What does he want from me, Balthazar? ANSWER ME, DAMNIT!!" Courtney yelled with renewed strength, even with as much blood as she had lost.  
  
In between his ragged, final breaths, the creature replied, "He told me that....he wanted me to....to get him the...Eternity Crystal from....from it's host. He told me that..he didn't care if you were...were dead or alive....but preferred you to....to live....for he knows of.....of your power......and everything about your life. You pathetic human, just give....give in for...for your friends' sakes..."  
  
With that, he closed his eyes for the final time, and then slipped into the eternal sleep.  
  
Kyo's jaw dropped during this entire incident. The dark creature's body began to absorb into the earth, never to be seen again. He turned to look at the woman beside him. 'What could have happened here?' "Courtney, are you all right? Come on, we need to get you to a doctor, fast, you're loosing too much blood-"  
  
Just then, the creepy aura disappeared from around her body, the blood began to flow quicker, and she collapsed into a heap on the ground. 'COURTNEY! C'mon, get up, please! No way can this be happening!" Being careful of where her wounds were, and that his arms didn't go all the way around her body, he pick her up bride style & ran back to the house, calling, "SHIGURE!! YUKI!! TOHRU!! SOMEBODY CALL A DOCTOR! SHE'S BEEN ATTACKED!" Shigure, being the only on who was fully awake because of the screaming he had heard earlier, opened the front door & ran to the phone. He was about to call the hospital, but decided to call Hatori, for he could get there quicker.  
  
~I tried to kill the pain but only brought more~  
  
*ring* *ring* * ring*  
  
Hatori, who was working late that evening, slowly picked up the phone. "Hello?" "Hatori! It's Shigure. Please, hurry over! Stardust has been attacked!" "What?" "It's true! She's bleeding heavily, & we're not sure how much blood she's lost-"  
  
"I'm on my way!" Hatori hung up the phone, jumped into his car, and hurried over to Shigure's house.  
  
When he arrived, he grabbed his bag from the back and ran to the front door, only to find it already open for him. Shigure raced over to him. "Hatori! It's horrible! She's upstairs in the guest room." As Hatori ran up the stairs, he saw Tohru bawling her eyes out on the floor in the hall, with Yuki right by her side, attempting to comfort her, but to no avail.  
  
When he entered the room, he came face to face with the most horrific sight.  
  
~I lay dying and I'm pouring crimson regret and betrayal~  
  
The bed had been covered with several cloths to stop the blood from soaking it. Even thought there were so many, they were soaked with blood. Her body lay still, caked with blood and bruises.  
  
~I'm dying praying bleeding and screaming~  
  
Kyo was sitting next to the bed, also bleeding, but not as severely. His head was cut, as well as his arms & back with a few minor scrapes. His face was stained with tears, eyes swollen and red.  
  
~Am I too lost to be saved am I too lost~  
  
He looked up when Hatori entered the room. Finally being able to move, Hari walked over to Kyo and tapped him on the shoulder as a sign for him to wait outside. With reluctance, he rose and exited the room, with a single plea. "Hatori, if you can't save her, then I'll make sure you die a very slow and painful death. Understood?" Then he left the room.  
  
~My God my tourniquet return to me salvation my God my tourniquet return to me salvation~  
  
Hatori started by hooking her up to an IV, then tending to the wounds. "Well," he sighed, "this is going to be al long night. I wonder what could have don't this to her?" He swore to himself that he wouldn't make Kyo have to carry out his threat.  
  
~Do you remember me lost for so long~  
  
Everyone was waiting outside, except for Tohru, who Hatori had help bring in supplies for the Yankee, seeing that she would've had a breakdown unless she had something to do to help keep her occupied. Yuki was upset, but was in a state of shock, so he couldn't really cry.  
  
~Will you be on the other side or will you forget me~  
  
Kyo, on the other hand, was silently crying, on the floor in front of the door. 'Why did this have to happen to her?! Why,' he thought, 'why couldn't it have been me in there instead?! And what was that creature talking about? Eternity Crystal? Give its host to his keeper?' "Damn it, I can't take this anymore," he cried out. "It should have been me in there instead of her! Why did she have to go and get attacked?! Why...why her?" he began to cry for lord knows how long.  
  
~I'm dying praying bleeding and screaming am I too lost to be saved am I too lost~  
  
Hours passed, yet still no news.  
  
~My God my tourniquet return to me salvation my God my tourniquet return to me salvation~  
  
Kyo finally got up and went into his room, to try and cool off some steam. He kept throwing punches into thin air, pretending that it was that bastard that had done this to her.  
  
~My God my tourniquet return to me salvation my God my tourniquet return to me salvation~  
  
Finally, after about another hour, he came out of his room to find that Shigure was standing on the opposite wall, biting his lip. Then, at about the same time, Hatori came out of her room and announced, "She's lost a lot of blood, but she will be fine. I gave her some pills to help dull the pain, but they won't make it all go away. However, she is conscious, and she kept asking one question." He paused to make sure that everyone was listening. "She kept asking if, Kyo was alright. She didn't seem to care about weather she lived or not, but more about whether or not you were alright.  
  
"I told her that I'd have a look at you when I was done with her, so I will. Come here, Kyo."  
  
Usually the neko didn't do as the dragon asked, but he had to since SHE had asked if he was alright. "Ah, I see. Just a few minor cuts, but this one in your head I'll need to stitch up. Please have a seat downstairs." Tohru, at this point, had gone back into her room, with Yuki following her to make sure that she'd be alright.  
  
As soon as Hatori started to stitch the gash, Kyo asked, "Hatori, how is she, really?" He kept working, though you could tell that it took a lot of effort to answer that question and still concentrate on the task at hand.  
  
"She got pretty cut up. Most people would have been died long ago if they had injuries like that. However, for some odd reason, she survived. Her wounds even closed a little from how far open they originally were."  
  
Kyo still couldn't understand that, or what the creature had said. "There, you're all done," Hatori announced. Kyo jumped up, then looked down at Hari to see if he knew what he was about to ask.  
  
"Yes, Kyo," He sighed, "you may go see her. Just don't let her get too excited, alright? She needs her rest." "Don't worry, I know that." Kyo raced up the stairs and entered her room.  
  
~My wounds cry for the grave my soul cries for deliverance~  
  
She was hooked up to the IV and a pulse monitor. Hatori had removed her shirt so that she only had on a sports bra with her entire stomach wrapped in bandages. Her forehead was stitched in several places. Her arms and legs were also bandaged up. It almost made him want to cry again, but he held back his tears.  
  
~Will I be denied Christ tourniquet my suicide~  
  
Kyo sat down next to her bed, and held her hand. "Oh, gods, Courtney," he whispered, "What made this happen? What did that thing want from you? I mean, why couldn't you tell us about this if you knew? I would've tried to protect you. I would've kept you from being attacked. I would've-"  
  
He began to cry once more. Suddenly, he felt a slight pressure on his hand, and he heard the monitor pulse speed up. "Shhh..." she whispered. "It's alright. I told you that it would be fine." "C-Courtney? You're okay. You're really okay! I was so afraid! Don't you ever do that to me again, understand? If you do, I'll kill you!" He gave a short little laugh, then squeezed her hand, and cried some more. "You know, I'd hug you right now if I wouldn't turn into a cat."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "You know, if you had this much perseverance at making friends, you'd be the most popular man in school," she laughed, "Do me a favor, will you?" "Sure, anything." "Could you light that candle for me, please?"  
  
Kyo got up, and, with a puzzled look on his face, pulled out the box of matches, and then lit the pale blue candle. As he was getting ready to walk out of the room, she called out, "Kyo, please. Will you stay here with me tonight? Please?" He stopped, and then turned around. "You sure you want me to?"  
  
She sighed, and then shook her head. "Kyo, please. I just really don't want to be alone tonight. I-I got so scared. I thought that...that I was never going to see you again, or be able to ask you....why you kissed me earlier."  
  
This shocked him out of his mind. "I...uh.....well, you see....to tell you the truth, I don't know what I was thinking. All I knew was that you looked so beautiful lying there like that, I just had to."  
  
"Oh, damn it, Kyo! I don't mind at all. In fact, I'm glad you did. Truth is, I wanted you to for the longest time."  
  
She blushed a little. Kyo sat up on the bed next to her. "Well, I really wanted to." He replied. He lay down next to her as she smiled, then they both fell asleep.  
  
~*~Somewhere Else~*~  
  
A beautiful lady sat in the control room with her husband, looking at the screen where a little light had just appeared. The man was the first to speak. "You see, she knows what to do. I don't' see what you're so worried about, Serenity." The woman, called Serenity, gave a small smile to her husband. "Well, you never were the one who had something that contains such great power living inside of you like the girls and I have, now did you, Endymoin?" She looked back at the screen, then sighed. "And so it begins, at last."  
  
A/N: Wahoo! Done with chap. 6! *pats herself on the back* now, the next chappie will be up when I see fit to put it up, got it? I want to reach the 20 mark line at least! Please click on the lil' button down in the left hand corner. Click 'Go', & send me a review! Ja! ~*~Serenity~*~  
~*~^_^~*~ 


	7. Happy Birthday & Kyo's Gift

A/N: Hello again!! Wow, I didn't realize that so many people liked my fic!! *sniff* I feel so loved!! Oh, and for those of you who sent me an e- mail regarding being in this fic, I promise that ya'll will be in here by chapter 10!! Cross my heart!! Now, I know that in this chapter of the story it sorta goes all the way back into November, but I have a good reason for it!! Besides, if I kept up with what the time was right now, where would be the fun in that? Oh, and if anyone else wishes to be placed in this fic, please send me an e-mail, or add it to your review!! Now, on with my freaky lil' fic!!  
  
The Exchange Student ~Happy Birthday & Kyo's Gift~  
  
Several weeks passed by as Stardust recovered from her injuries. Hatori was still shocked as to how she was able to recover even this fast from the extensive injuries that she had suffered on that horrible night. All the way through her recovery, Kyo was right there by her side. Shigure - having a very screwed up brain-made several comments about this, & earned him quite a few well-deserved beatings.  
  
It soon reached into November, and many people were starting to prepare for the upcoming holidays, even though they were over a month away. Stardust sat outside on her balcony, thinking, when she saw a shadow coming from the roof. "Mornin', Kyo," she smiled. "What's up?"  
  
Kyo jumped down to sit next to her. "Nuttin'. Hay, Star, why do you look so sad? C'mon, tell me. Please?" She cocked an eyebrow and smirked. "What makes you think that something is wrong, hmm? Maybe I just wanna sit hear and think for a little while, ever thought about that, baka neko," she laughed. "Well, excuse me, but I think I know when your upset about something by this point in time, so spill all, like, every last bit, like, right now," he laughed while trying to imitate a stereotypical valley girl. Courtney laughed at the young man sitting next to her. "Fine, I'll tell you, just stop making me laugh already! My sides hurt enough as it is, ya know!" She placed a hand over where she had been slashed naught 2 months ago.  
  
"Are you alright? Do I need to call Hatori to come take a look at you," Kyo asked with concern in his voice. "Nom I'm fine. Jeez, I should be able to at least get bragging rights about the whole thing, you know. Anyhow, I was just thinking about how it'll be someone's birthday in about two weeks, and the only people that really will remember it are probably on the other side of the world. Now, I'm gonna go get some breakfast, alright?" She stood up and went back inside.  
  
The neko sat there, think about what she said. 'Damn it all, I completely forgot when her birthday was! Its 2 weeks from tomorrow, so I better start planning something for this!!' He jumped up and also headed downstairs.  
  
As soon as school let out, Kyo mentioned this to Tohru & Yuki. Tohru started to hyperventilate. "OhmyGod! Howcouldweforgetwhenherbirthdaywas?! Ifeellikesuchanidotrightnow!! Weneedtostartto-" Yuki placed a hand over her mouth. "Calm down, Miss Honda. We can simply start to plan now, so don't' worry about it, alright? Besides, it seems that Kyo has most of it under control by the way he's' looking at you."  
  
"Yah, 'cept I'm not the one who's really planning too much. Ayame is doing most of the planning. Along with Shigure." Yuki sent him the coldest look in the cosmos. "How could you do something like that, you baka neko? Did you even think about the results of your actions?"  
  
"Well, yah, & they really wanted to plan this. Besides, your stupid brother was looking for an excuse to decorate someone's home, & maybe this'll shut him up for once. Now, I already have most of this figured out, but we have exactly two weeks from tomorrow to finish this; alright? Good; let's get started then!"  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
As they neared the house, they heard the front door slam, soon followed by a voice. "Yuki! My, how wonderful it is to see you again, dear brother!" Ayame chirped. Yuki & Kyo just sent him death glares, while Tohru greeted him warmly.  
  
They all went inside to discuss the plans until Stardust returned home. After about a half an hour, they heard the front door shut. "Hay, guys! Sorry I'm late, but I had to take care of a few fan girls that were trying to attack me. You really need to learn how to muzzle your fan club, ya know, Yuki," she said as she entered the room.  
  
Then she saw Ayame, and put on a false British accent.  
  
"Ayame, Sohma? Oh, my, GODDESS! I just loved your fall collection dahaling! It was simply BREATHTAKING!" Ayame's face suddenly changed to one of recognition as he jumped up & they exchanged air kisses.  
  
"Oh, it's so wonderful to finally meet someone that appreciates my work! Have you purchased any of my designs?"  
  
The two went off into a deep discussion about fashion, while the rest of the household got the largest sweat drops you have ever seen.  
  
Tohru finally tried to break them up. "Umm, what do you guys want for dinner tonight? It's starting to get late, and I guess that I should get started-"  
  
She was cut off by Courtney. "Oh, how about we go out to eat tonight, Tohru? My treat, really."  
  
"An excellent idea, Miss Stardust! Pot sticker plates all around!" Ayame sang as he ran out the door, with the rest of the Sohmas right behind.  
  
After dinner, everyone walked back to the house, holding up a light conversation on the weather, for some odd reason. When they reached the house, Courtney's cell phone went off with a haunting melody, and she excused herself to take the call.  
  
As soon as she left the room, they all got back to planning. What they decided upon was this: That weekend, Tohru was already supposed to go over to Uo's apartment for a 2-day party. They would also invite Stardust along with them, so that there was an excuse to get her out of the house. While they were out, the test of them would all decorate the house, bake the cake, etc.  
  
When they returned the following evening, the house would be lavishly decorated from top to bottom. Foods of every type would cover the tables, music would be playing, all the works.  
  
And that's exactly what they did.  
  
It was finally the night of the party. Tohru, Uo, Hana, & Courtney would be arriving back at 8:00 that evening, and it was 5:30 already. The entire Sohma family, save maybe Akito and Kagura, where bustling around the house with the finishing touches.  
  
The only reason Kagura had not been invited was because she would have attacked Kyo; & Shigure & Ayame had a VERY strong suspicion that Kyo and Courtney liked each other more than friends.  
  
Everyone was dressed up, and the house looked spectacular! From top to bottom it was adorned with silver, purple, and blue streamers. Plenty of stars and moons covered the walls and floors.  
  
And the cake; can we just take a minute to talk about the cake? 5 layer, ice cream, cookie- crumble vanilla cake. The icing was a pale purple color with little blue, silver, and purple frosting flowers all over the top. In spidery blue and purple lettering were the words, "Happy Birthday Courtney."  
  
Kyo was a nervous wreck. He had to step out on the back deck to get a breath of fresh air. His heart was beating about a million miles a minute with nerves, and he was sweating a little.  
  
Soon, all the lights were turned off, signaling that everyone should be in their places, because they were in site of the house. He scrambled into his position, barely able to see in the dark.  
  
They could hear the four young women laughing outside the door. Finally, Tohru opened the door, and Stardust flipped on the lights.  
  
"SURPRISE!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COURTNEY!!"  
  
Courtney had to take a step back, clutching her heart, and laughing. "I can't believe you guys remembered my birthday," she laughed. "So, you three were just trying to get me out of the house so that you could do this, hmm? Thanks a lot; all of you." She started to cry a little, and the party began.  
  
Kyo stood with his jaw slightly off to one side. He was busy staring at what Courtney was wearing.  
  
Tohru had told her that they had to stop by the house on a way to a dinner party at Hana's house, so she should just bring a dress with her. And, boy, did she know what to wear.  
  
A beautiful, long, halter-style, silvery-purplish-bluish evening gown adorned her figure, hugging down to her hips, from where it fanned out to give room to dance in. There were two slits on either side of the gown that reached up to mid-thigh. A pair of matching ankle- strapped shoes graced her feet. She wore a beautiful oval-shaped, diamond broach in the top center of her gown, glittering in the lamplight.  
  
She had a slight curl to her hair, and her make-up was simple, yet elegant. Her amethyst eyes were shining with tears of happiness from all the effort her friends had put into celebrating her birthday.  
  
The night wore on, and soon it was after midnight. Everyone was sitting around, laughing at one of Shigure's stories. Kyo finally got up the courage to walk over to the guest of honor and tap her on the shoulder.  
  
He led her outside into the garden. There were beautiful lanterns adorning the trees and pathways, and soft music could be heard coming from a stereo somewhere; perhaps one was sitting in a tree somewhere.  
  
The walked around for a while, enjoying each other's company. "So," she began, "what's up, Kyo? Oh, and thank you so much for all of this. Ya'll really didn't need to do all of this."  
  
"I know that; but we all wanted to make sure that you had a wonderful 17th birthday. Besides, I...wanted to tell you something..." He trailed off.  
  
Stardust looked at him, puzzled. "Go on," she said, "what did you want to tell me?"  
  
They stopped walking, and he turned to face her, taking her hands in his. He took a deep breath before he began.  
  
"Courtney, you've been here for maybe, what, 4 months now, and you touch every single person's hearts that you come into contact with. Just being around you, for me, is intoxicating. You're so kind, smart, and you're the most gorgeous woman I've ever met in my life."  
  
Her eyes grew wide while he continued.  
  
"I didn't want to give you my gift in front of everyone else, because what your response is to what I'm going to say will be the balance for all of this."  
  
Stardust took in a sharp breath, and held it at this point. 'Goddess,' she thought, 'please let him say what I think he's going to say. Please, Selene, let him ask me.'  
  
"Courtney," he started again, "I-I'm in love with you. I have been for the longest time, but I just didn't have the courage to tell you, for fear that you would reject me. I know that there's still that chance right now, but I just couldn't keep it from you any more. Please, tell me how you feel about me?"  
  
She looked up into his eyes, only to be met with the one emotion that she was feeling right now.  
  
Pure, honest, love.  
  
She smiled as her eyes began to glisten again. "Kyo," she shakily began, "I've felt the same way since I stepped off the plane and saw you. I love you, too."  
  
He was practically glowing with joy from those simple words uttered from her mouth. "Then, will you do me the honor of wearing this, and being my girlfriend?" He pulled out a small, blue box from his shirt pocket.  
  
When he opened it, she gasped. Inside was a beautiful golden ring, with a simple Byzantine design. "It's 14 karat gold, so it won't turn your finger green or anything," he said. "I would never expect anything like that from you, Kyo. And yes, I will be your girlfriend!" Kyo slipped the ring on her right ring finger, and she could barely restrain herself from hugging him.  
  
"Well, this has to have been the best birthday that I've ever had," she said. "Well, that was only the first part of my gift to you," he said.  
  
"Really; and what, prey tell, would be the rest of it," she said as she snaked her arms over his shoulders, but not all the way around. Wouldn't want to ruin a perfectly romantic moment by turning him into a cat, now would we?  
  
"This," he replied as he leaned in, closing off the space between their faces in an earth-shattering, soul-searing kiss; fueled with passion & love. He ran his tongue along her lower lip, begging, pleading for entrance, which she gladly gave.  
  
Their tongues battled for dominance, while she ran her fingers through his soft orange head. He placed one hand on her waist, while the other went around her neck, playing with her chocolate locks.  
  
After a good few minutes, hoots & claps were heard from the back porch. The two broke apart to find the rest of the guests outside, clapping for them. "'Bout damn time, too," remarked Hiro, while putting his arm around Kisa. Shigure and Ayame gave each other their thumbs up sign, while saying, "Now, when should we be expecting nieces and nephews, hmm?"  
  
Kyo would have chased them around the lot, had Courtney not laughed and answered for him. "Not in the near future, you hentais. Go get a life, will ya'll?" Then she pulled him back in for another kiss.  
  
What a perfect way to spend a birthday.  
  
~*~A/N: YAY!! LOADS OF FLUFF FOR YA'LL TO ENJOY! I'll probably start introducing the OCs in the next chapter, but don't 'quote me on that, alright? I know that it took a while for this update, but the creative mind of a genius takes time to produce such wonderful works of art. *Laughs at self* Me, a genius? Maybe in a million years. Well, send me reviews, and I'll be plenty happy! And when this lil' goddess person is happy, she writes. And when she writes, you get updates! See, it's a feel- good cycle! So, review, & I'll update! Ja ne, minna!  
~*~Serenity~*~  
Goddess of the Moon  
~*~^_^~*~ 


	8. WHAT! Kyo Can do Something Other than F...

~*~A/N: *takes a deep breath* Alright, it's building up on me, so the time has come for me to address the largest issue in my entire fic: Stardust IS a Mary Sue. It was intentional for her to be created as such, and I will try to explain the best that I can without giving away the main plot of her life, alright?  
  
Good. *sucks in as much air as possible*  
  
First off, it was not intentional for her to seem overly perfect. There are things that she's not good at... somewhere, but they're there! Physically; well, this is going to be a little harder to explain. Look, this is a fan FIC. It doesn't have to be ENTIRELY real. Besides, would you prefer that she looked like a slob? I didn't think so. Oh, and as for her Japanese: apparently, dysfunctional-sama has not seen Sailor Moon, because they grew up in JAPAN. They speak JAPANESE. So, here's the answer to your question about that... When they picked Stardust up from that orphanage at the age of three, she would have learned Japanese, just like she would have learned English in school. I'm not saying that she's perfect, but that would explain the difficulty in hearing her English accent, alright?  
  
As for voice, again, it doesn't have to be ENTIRALLY real, right? Hehe... Powers: again, I am doing a sort-of crossover with Sailor Moon, so I hope that that will make a little more sense to ya'll. If I tell you anything more on that, then I might as well just tell you the whole fic in one chapter, alright? I appreciate all the constructive criticism that I have received; that only shows that you are reading beyond what I have typed, and that is much appreciated. Now, to answer the rest of your reviews from chapter 6 & 7!  
  
inu87yasha: *sigh* You obviously don't have Evanesance's CD, because if you did, you would realize that those were the lyrics to one of my favorite songs, 'Tourniquet'.  
  
Mokubaliker1: I feel special now! Glad ya like it!  
  
ElvenQueenSelenity: I've updated, so quit your bellyaching, or you won't get your surprise that I promised in here...  
  
Lauren: Aww, I feel special to know that my friend/fellow otaku finally read the fic and enjoyed it! ^_^ you get points, girl!  
  
CC: *sigh* unfortunately, I do not own a Kyo plushie, either. If I find one, I'll let you know, fair enough? And HOW can Fruits Basket not be known?! *faints* the horror! lol glad that you enjoy it, though!  
  
Urameshi no Koibito: Now I REALLY feel special! Again, all of you wonderful peoples will be in by chapter 10; SWEAR!!  
  
Elair Swiftfire: I explained the rest above & my stupid computer just doesn't like using bold or italics when I post it! For example, what I'm typing right now is bold in Word, but when I post it, all of it goes back to regular. I'll usually use the lil' squiggly thigamabobber to show the start & finish of a song, or the different lines of lyrics, which, again, ARE ITALISED WHEN I TYPE THEM. Gomen nasi about that, though!  
  
Tricycle: I really hate flamers. & not every male member of the family fell in love with her upon site. Lust after her, I could understand; but Kyo's the only one that fell in love upon site. You're reading a little TOO much between the likes, alright? & I'll keep writing as long as people out there are willing to give me good, CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, not just flames of pure agony about how Mary Sue-ish Stardust is, alright?  
  
Ok, now, I'm afraid that there will be some other Mary Sues in this fic; about 5 more actually. *dodges the flying, sharp, DEADLY weapons being thrown by readers.* I know, I know, but it's the truth! They are a few of my friends from school, & they gave me character summaries, so blame them for their Mary Sue qualities! Not me! All I can be blamed for is putting them in the fic!  
  
Oh, yah, I'm also gonna be doing a L.O.T.R. crossover, and a Trigun crossover, so bear with me on that! I might also add in a few other shows, depending. Now that I've clarified the whole Mary Sue issue, I don't wanna hear any more about it, alright? I'm getting sick of it! The Mary Sue junk was INTENTIONAL, so get it through your thick heads! Just kidding! Unless you send me a review saying about how much of a Mary Sue the characters are, then there won't be a problem.  
  
I'll try to give Stardust some more NORMAL *shudders at the word* qualities, as in she's not good at EVERYTHING, how's that for a start. However, I can't make any promises, 'cause you'll never know when I feel like going into a pink & frilly Mary Sue mode. *shudders at the very mention* I doubt that will happen, though. So, on with my insane fic; & don't forget to REVIEW @ THE END!! Oh, & CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISIM ONLY!! Flaming is pointless, because it doesn't help me to improve upon this anymore to make it more enjoyable for you. See, I listen to your comments!  
  
The Exchange Student ~What?! Kyo Can do Something Other Than FIGHT?! & A Suprise~  
  
Time passed. Autumn turned into cold, bleak winter. It was already January, and if you stepped outside for even a minute, your toes would freeze, and you would probably catch pneumonia; or at the very least a cold.  
  
"ACHOO! Excuse me. Tohru, could you hand me the box of tissues, please? Sorry to be such a burden. Damn friggin' colds..."  
  
"Oww, my poor head! Tohru, would you be an angel and get me a bowl of that wonderful soup that you make so well to cure me?"  
  
"SHUT UP, YOU DAMN DOG!!"  
  
Three different people had fallen under the weather in Shigure's home. Yuki, Shigure, & Stardust had all contracted a cold. Tohru kept reprimanding them on how they had caught cold, but Shigure and Stardust kept cracking up whenever she mentioned it.  
  
They had been snowed in for a little while the previous weekend, and Stardust suggested that they play Truth or Dare. Of course, only fools would play Truth or Dare with her. If only they had known...  
  
After several rounds, it was finally Kyo's turn. He picked Yuki, who - fool that he is - chose dare. He was then dared to, along with Shigure and Stardust, run around outside without coats or shoes on, screaming to the moon, "I'm a woman, hear me roar," then jump into the lake.  
  
Of course, they all accepted. There was no insult for Courtney in that, but there was for Yuki. We're still trying to figure out about Shigure, though...  
  
This brings us to where we are now three very ill, invalid peoples. One of which is very depressed, while the other two are hooting with laughter at Momiji's attempts to cheer them up.  
  
It took a while for them all to recover, since Hatori couldn't come immediately, due to the inclement weather. However, they all soon recovered, which was such a shame, seeing as they were enjoying being able to skip school. Well, at least Courtney was.  
  
Soon everyone got back into the normal routine. It was almost February, and students were already counting down the days until spring break.  
  
As the teacher droned on about some useless information, Kyo felt something hit the side of his head. He looked down at his desk to find a piece of paper folded into a tiny ball. When he opened it, he had to smirk.  
  
'Only five more minutes...only five more minutes...ARGH!! I can't take it any more! Too much information for my brain to absorb! *faints* So, how are you holding in there, hmm?'  
  
Kyo quickly picked up a pen and scribbled a reply.  
  
'Bored, that's how I'm doing. I think we've heard this lecture  
about 50 times at this point, don't you agree?'  
  
As soon as he finished, he looked over to the person that he knew sent it, aimed, & fired. The ball of paper landed right on her arm, where she picked it up & proceeded to read. She too smirked as she scrawled her message, and then threw it back at Kyo. He caught it mid-air.  
  
'Well, I guess that it's not only in America, then. *sniff* I need my anime collection! Badly! If Ayame busted in and started lecturing us of fashion, I think that the day might improve a little before we go home.'  
  
Trying not to laugh, he stuffed the note into his pocket as the bell rang. It was a Friday, so all the students scrambled towards to door, fighting for freedom.  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
Later that evening, Stardust was sitting on her bed, typing an e-mail to her best friend back in the States. When she was almost done with the e- mail, she heard someone playing a guitar. Quickly, she finished typing, hit send, and then went to see where it was coming from. She noticed that the sound was coming from her window. 'No,' she thought, 'it couldn't be...could it?'  
  
Steeping out onto the balcony, she climbed up the ladder to the roof, only to almost fall off with shock.  
  
Kyo was sitting there, oblivious to the fact that she was there. The thing that she was most shocked at was that he was playing a guitar. To top that off, he was damn good! 'I always knew that he would look good with a guitar,' she thought. Smiling, she sat down and waited for him to finish.  
  
As soon as he was done, she clapped & hooted. His head spun around, and smirked. "Didn't know that I had an audience," he said. "Holy shit, Kyo," She said, "I always knew you had something that you enjoyed to do other than beat people up! Where'd ya learn to play like that, anyhow?"  
  
Kyo's eyes grew dark. "When I was younger, my...mother...she taught me how to play. That was about the only good thing that I ever learned from herm though, before she killed herself."  
  
Stardust's eyes grew wide. "Oh, gods, Kyo," She said, her eyes filling with tears, "I-I didn't know. I'm so sorry."  
  
"Hay, it's not your fault, ya know. She just...couldn't take having someone like me for a son, that's all." He glanced over towards Courtney, only to find tears sliding down her cheeks. He quickly laid his guitar down and crossed over to where she was weeping. Placing both hands on her shoulders, he looked her straight in the eye. "C'mon, don't cry, please? I hate it when you cry. There's no reason for you to be crying! It happened when I was a little kid, alright? Please, just stop crying." He put both hands on either side of her face, then took his thumbs and wiped away her tears.  
  
"I know that, but can't I feel awful about it," she smiled. "No; you aren't allowed to feel awful about anything, got that?" He kissed her forehead, then moved so she could get up.  
  
"So," he continued, "do you know how to play?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh, no. Never learned how to, I'm afraid. Piano, yes; guitar, no."  
  
"Do you want me to teach you? It's pretty easy."  
  
"I don't think you could. I'm left-handed, remember?"  
  
"I still have my mother's old guitar, and she was left-handed."  
  
"You're just taking away all of my excuses not to learn, ya know that?"  
  
"It's intentional, I assure you."  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
Near midnight, Kyo finally had her playing pretty good. "Hay," he said, "You got it."  
  
"Yah, but only cause I had an amazing teacher."  
  
"You're only saying that because I didn't charge you any cash."  
  
"Good point, but I can still say it, right?"  
  
"Yah; but I still want payment."  
  
"Hay, I'm broke!"  
  
"Not with what I want."  
  
"Mmmhmm; and what makes you think that I'll give it to you, hmm?"  
  
He scooted closer to her, placing one hand behind her neck. "Because," he whispered, "you want the same thing. Besides, you know I'm irresistible." With that, he crushed his lips to hers.  
  
When they finally pulled apart, she slowly opened her eyes. "Well, you were right for once," she said, pulling him back in again.  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
"Back to Monday; Ugh, don't you just *love* getting up early for school?" Mondays. The word that every student hates to hear after enjoying a wonderful, restful weekend. Courtney was griping about it all through breakfast, trying to fall back to sleep at the table, until Kyo rolled his eyes and pushed her face down to just above her cereal.  
  
"Enough already! I swear, if I could get away with it, I'd shove Monday mornings right up your-"  
  
"Aww, Kyo, you know you don't mean that."  
  
"Do so."  
  
"Do not."  
  
"Do SO."  
  
"Do NOT."  
  
"DO SO."  
  
"DO NOT."  
  
"DO SO!"  
  
"DO NOT!"  
  
"WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP?! Jeez, a guy comes over to see if his relatives, plus two ladies, wanted to join him at school today, & he walks in on THIS!"  
  
They all looked up at the back porch to find Haru standing there, waiting for them to finish.  
  
"Alright, Haru; we'll go with you to school today. Just don't go black on us, alright?" They all jumped up to get their books, then headed out.  
  
"Hay, guys," Uo called to them once they entered the classroom, "Did you hear? We get to skip all our classes before lunch!"  
  
"Really, why? Did you do something, Uo," Courtney questioned as she sat down. "No, though thanks for the suggestion. Actually, we're getting an assembly today. Should prove to be interesting."  
  
"Why what's it about?"  
  
"Dunno; but who cares as long as we get to skip classes? C'mon, or we'll miss it."  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
"That was SOO BOARING," Kyo yawned, "I can't believe they wasted my time for a lecture on, 'Why Math is an Important Part of Our Lives.' THAT, I could have lived without."  
  
"Aww, quit your whining, Kyo; at least you didn't have to get "The Talk." Back at Moonbeam, they made it a school-wide assembly," Stardust shuddered. "I still get chills just thinking about it."  
  
"Hay, at least we have lunch next," Tohru chimed in. "Come on, today we actually get to eat some decent food!"  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
Halfway through lunch, they all headed into an empty classroom to play poker, using their lunches instead of money.  
  
"What?! No way! You're cheating! You're a goddamn cheater!"  
  
"Shut up, Orange-top. It's called luck, not cheating."  
  
"Well, you can all shut up, because you know what I've got?"  
  
"Uh-oh; what?"  
  
"Read 'em and weep, ladies and gentlemen! Royal Straight Flush! Hand over the chow!"  
  
"Star, I swear that you're a C-H-E-A-T-E-R!"  
  
"No, I learned from someone who happens to be very good at poker; 'enough said."  
  
The game continued like that for quite some time, in the end, everyone had to fold, since they no longer had any lunch to bet. Of course, deciding that she'd be nice just this once, Star gave them all back their lunches.  
  
Suddenly, a voice cut through. "Excuse me, but is there a Miss Courtney Stardust present? I don't think that she's answered my offer for a personal bodyguard yet." Everyone turned towards the door, to find a 6' tall man, with blonde, spiky hair, silver earrings, and the infamous red trench coat, leaning on the door frame. Stars' eyes grew wide as she stood up and jumped the man. "VASH!! OH MY GODDESS, WHAT IN THE 7 HELLS ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" She exclaimed while laughing and being spun around by the man.  
  
"Hay, Star! So, do you think that you need a bodyguard, hmm," Vash laughed. "No, since I have Kyo to protect me now. Oh, that's right! I haven't introduced you yet! Everyone, this is Vash the Stampede. Vash, these are my friends, Uo, Hana, Tohru, Yuki, Haru, & Kyo. Vash is my second cousin, on my mother's side."  
  
Kyo heaved a sigh of relief. 'Whew,' he thought, 'for a minute there I thought I might need to fight off an ex-boyfriend, or something. Oh, wait, she said that she'd never had a boyfriend, so I don't know what I was so worried about.'  
  
"So, Vash, what brings you al the way out here, hmm?"  
  
"Well, I really shouldn't be the one to tell you why. Hover, I do need to ask you something."  
  
"Shoot, Needle-Noggin'."  
  
"Don't call me that! Anyhow, do you think that Selenity would have me if I asked her to be my girlfriend? I was going to ask her to marry me, but then I remembered that she's about a year too young. I've even got the ring, just in case."  
  
"Not if you're counting in a Lunarian lifetime," Star laughed, "If you were, you'd even be too young for her! Oh, and I can tell you that she'd say yes, hands down. She's totally in love with you, Needle-Noggin'! So just go for it! Oh, and lemme see the ring, please?"  
  
Vash pulled a small golden box out from one of his many coat pockets. When he opened it, there was a beautifully crafted golden ring inside. A flawless diamond sat in the middle, while two flawless emeralds adorned each side of it. "Wow, Vash," she breathed, "It's beautiful. I'd personally hold onto it until after she turns 18, and then propose, alright? Damn, you sure have good taste. Make sure you take care of her, now."  
  
"Thanks, Court. Don't worry, I will. Oh, and when you go home this afternoon, there'll be another surprise for ya; maybe several, actually."  
  
Everyone else was finishing up their lunches, listening to the other two's conversation. Soon, the bell rang, and they all headed to their next class. "Hay, Vash," Star called after him as they left the building, "What'd ya mean by several surprises?"  
  
"I've already said too much as it is! Just go and learn some stuff, and you'll see later. Ja for now, Star!" With that, he hopped into his red Corvette, and drove off.  
  
'Hmm, I wonder what that could've meant,' she wondered. "Hay, Star, ya coming; or do I have to drag you to English Grammar," Kyo called to her. "Coming, Kyo!" She quickly reached him and they headed their next class.  
  
Soon, it was time to head home. Stardust walked a little quicker than usual, trying to hurry up and see what Vash had been talking about.  
  
When they finally reached the house, she hurried inside. As soon as she came to the living room...  
  
"SURPRISE!!"  
  
"OH, MY GODDESS! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU GUYS ARE HERE!"  
  
~*~A/N: Ha! OC peoples should be happy with the next chapter. Oh, and Sel, that little bit with me and Vash was just for you girl! You have to be one of the best friends a girl could get. Thanks for putting up with my craziness; because I've enjoyed corrupting you. :P Again, the next chapter will take a while for me to work on, so please be patient, ok? This is your last chance to send me a review with a message attached to it regarding being placed in this fic. I'll need those all in as soon as possible. Now, push that lil' button and send me a review, NOT A FLAME!! Ja for now, minna!  
~*~Serenity~*~  
Goddess of the Moon  
~*~^_^~*~  
  
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	9. The Arrival of Moonbeam Academy

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~*~A/N: Minna, I am _SOO INCREDIBLY SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER!! _I have an excuse, though! See, I got a bunch of shit onto my computer, causing me to loose _all information that I had saved. _Yup, that's the truth. *nods head* So, I'm finally getting around to update this fic! YAAAAY! *smirks as reviewers put down weapons* Also, a lot of the OCs were NOT DESIGNED BY ME!! Therefore, if they turn out to be a bunch of MS, then u cannot flame me! I'll give you the person's e-mail and you can go flame them! Now, on with the fic! No more delaying! Y'all have been patient, so here ya go! ~*~

Disclaimer: I own Stardust and the plot. My friends own their characters, & anybody else that sent me a review asking to be in it owns their person. Yup, that's about it. 

__

~*~ The Exchange Student ~*~ ~ The Arrival of Moonbeam Academy ~ 

Standing in the living room were her closest friends from Moonbeam Academy. Sitting on the table was Claire Blaise. She stood about 5'9, and she had brown hair with golden highlights. Piercing cerulean eyes and a good tan. She had a slim figure, due to the fact that she spent most of her time dancing; and she wore the clothes to show it off, too. 

She was talking with Ivy at the time. Ivy had long black hair with blood red streaks scattered all around. Both of her ears were double-pierced and she had the cartilage pierced on her left ear. Blue eyes and was wearing a black Duel Jewel T-shirt, plus anything punk that she could find. 

On the couch were Shorty, Poet, and Bunny. Shorty stood about 5'1 and had bright orange hair with dramatic white highlights, making it appear even brighter orange. She had metallic gray eyes and wore a gray hoodie with a cheerleader shirt and jeans. She was talking to her sister, Poet. 

Poet stood about 5'7 and had deep brown hair and eyes. She had a kind face, and wore a deep purple, low cut T-shirt. Her brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, showing off her deep purple hoops and blue eyes. Next to her was Bunny. If you wanted someone that was slutty out of the whole group, Bunny would be it. She had on a short dark pink mini-skirt, and a short, low-cut, light pink spaghetti-strap shirt; while a pair of red boots were on her feet, and they stopped just below her knees. The heels must've been 6" high, at least! Her wavy blonde hair hung down to her mid-back, and large silver hoops were in her ears. Her boyfriend, Jason, was sitting next to her with his arm over her shoulder; he was wearing his blue and silver football jacket, being the quarterback of the team. 

Melissa stood off to the side, talking to her boyfriend, Yusuke. She stood average height with shoulder-length black hair and dark brown eyes. As always, she had a smile on her face, and seemed to be perfectly happy just where she was. **[A/N: Urameshi no Koibito, this is just for you saying that you love my fic! I feel so special!] **Talking to both of them was Sharlett. She had brown hair that stopped about 2" below her shoulders and brown eyes. She wore a black halter top with gray velvet pants, while black platform shoes adorned her feet.

Over to another side stood Darious, Adrian, and Grady. Grady was the tallest of the three, wearing a green shirt. His eyes changed color depending on his shirt, so today they were green. Darious was Ivy's boyfriend and had hair similar to Vash's, save the fact that it was brown. His eyes were olive green, and he had a scar across his forehead that made everyone call him Harry Potter for awhile. Adrian was the shortest of the three, at Shorty's height & the same age as the other three, sixteen. He had brown hair and green eyes, & his gray polo shirt had creases in it same as Grady's. All three of them considered themselves pimps, and lord knows how they became three of Star's closest friends 

Talking to Shigure was Queen Serenity, Amy, Lita, Mina, and Rei. Vash stood off to the side, talking to his cousin's two best friends. Sapphire Forester had silky just black hair with deep blue streaks scattered all over. Sparkling sapphire eyes laughed while a pair of silver and sapphire hoops showed off slightly elfish ears. She wore a shiny deep blue T-shirt and a pair of black jeans. 

Her sister, Selenity, was busy flirting with Vash. She had long blonde hair, and forest green streaks were placed throughout her tresses. Her eyes were lightning green with silver flecks, dancing with love. She wore a deep green shirt with gold words on the front that read, _"I quite easy to get along with once you learn to worship me." _**[Must be added that I got that quote from ElvenQueenSelenity's profile, and she got it from someone else!] **

Once Star entered the room, Selenity looked over to the door and shrieked when she saw her best friend. "SURPRISE!"

"OH MY GODDESS! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU GUYS ARE HERE!" 

Everyone in the room turned and smiled while greeting their friend. Selenity and Sapphire got to Star first and hugged their best friend. When Yuki, Tohru, and Kyo walked into the room, the all stopped dead in their tracks and thought, 'Oh, shit. There are _way too many girls _in here!' 

Star wiped away the tears of joy that were pouring down her face and make the introductions. As soon as she was done, Claire walked over to Haru & winked. "Hay, babe," she said seductively, "What'd ya say in goin' somewhere private, hmm?" Courtney saw her friend at it again, then rolled her eyes and whacked her in the back of the head. "Claire," she said rolling her eyes, "you need to stop hitting on every guy you see, alright?"

Claire threw an arm across her friend's shoulder. "Hay, I can't help it! Besides, seems that you managed to snag yourself _the _hottest hottie, so why can't I?" Courtney just rolled her eyes and walked over to Serenity. She bowed before she began to speak to all of them. 

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Later that evening, Tohru was asking everyone what they would live for dinner. "Um, Tohru," Star said, "it's not that I don't live your cooking, but how about pizza tonight, seeing as there's so many of us, hmm?" "Hmm, I don't think I've ever had pizza before." Star, who happened to be drinking a glass of Sprite at the moment, spewed it all over Shigure. "WHAT?! YOU'VE _NEVER HAD PIZZA??_" She and Selenity collapsed right onto each other while Shigure went to get cleaned up. Star and Selenity got everyone's orders, got the phone book, then called Domino's Pizza.

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang and Lita helped Selenity and Sapphire get all 10 boxes of pizza. Courtney was practically drooling over it all. "Oh, sweet, wonderful pizza," she began, "how wonderful it is to see you again!" She then grabbed two slices of cheese and ate them. Everyone was laughing and having a great time.

Around midnight, everyone decided that they should leave. However, Any gave Stardust a slip of paper and a blue case filled with lab equipment. "I hope this helps, Courtney," she said. "Good luck, Hoshi. Oh, before I forget, Serenity wants to speak with you after the festival." Star smiled. "Ok, thanks, Ames. Do you happen to know what she wants to talk about?" Any just smiled. "I'll see you later, Star," she called on her way out. She waved good-bye to her friends and cousin as they drove off.

"Well," Tohru said while cleaning up, "that was certainly interesting." "Tell me about it." Kyo chimed in. "I thought that Rei was pretty cool, though. She really knows how to fight!" They all spoke about every one of their guests. "Hay, Star," Tohru asked, "Where are they staying, exactly?" 

"Oh, I thought I told you. Hota-chan's father left a mansion here." 

"WHAT?! You mean that giant place on the edge of town??" 

"Umm, yah, Kyo. Why do you ask?" 

"Because it's _huge. How_ could anyone _live _in that place?"

As they finished putting everything away, Courtney explained that the mansion was mainly used for the annual festival that the school held. "A festival? You mean, with a bunch of pretty high school girls running around?" Star rolled her eyes at the dog. "Yes, though it's open to the public to promote the school, so I don't think it'd be the best place to pick up on women. There are races, food, contests; you name it, we got it. But my favorite event would have to be the sparring display. This year, the theme is Cosmic Guardians, and the costumes are amazing! You guys _have _to go." "Hmm, when is it?" It'll be May 1st, Shigure. Trust me, you _don't _wanna miss it." With that, they all headed up to bed. 

The next morning, Vash dropped by with Selenity. Sel was driving her green Jaguar and Vash drove a silver Corvette today. "Sere! C'mon, where are ya?" Tohru, who was in the kitchen, heard what sounded like elephants running down the stairs. "SEL! Hay, glad ya came over!" She hugged her bff, then noticed a familiar ring on her finger. "Oh. My. Goddess. VASH! YOU ASKED HER AND YOU DIDN'T _TELL ME?? _WHAT HAPPENED TO ME BEING THE FIRST PERSON THAT YOU'D LET KNOW, NEEDLE NOGGIN'?!" Vash ran around the room while his cousin chased after him. "I didn't wanna bother you! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!" It was quite a comical site to watch. 

As soon as Courtney had acted her vengeance on her cousin, they told her the reason they had stopped by. "Sere," Selenity began, "As head of the festival committee, I am ordering you to be the lead in the sparring session! Whether you want to or not, you _will._" Courtney laughed. "Alright, alright! Look, just lemme get to school right now, ok? I'll see you guys this weekend to help set up." The new couple smiled at her, then left. "Hay, Vash!" Courtney called after hem, "You left your car keys!" "No, they're yours, Hoshi!" 

****

~*~A/N: DONE!! WOOHOO!! Now be happy, review, & PLEASE NO FLAMES!! I wrote this in a rush, so don't criticize me on that! Plus, I get my braces off in 3 months & 5 days, so I'm happy! Anyhow, REVIEW, DAMNIT!! Ja for now, minna!

~*~Serenity~*~

Goddess of the Moon

~*~^_^~*~


	10. The Long Awaited Festival

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A/N: YES!!! I'm BACK!!! WOOHOO!!! jumps around room Well, I hope y'all are gonna enjoy this chappie. Remember to REVIEW!!!

Trinity: Girl, I find it very sad that it took you _5 freaking days _to finish this chapter. I mean, goddess, women!

Serenity: Hay, writers' block loves me so much, it decided to say over on vacation!

Trinity: Excuses, excuses.

Seto: Why am I here again?

Marik: Same goes for me.

Both girls: Because we love you and Kyo's already in the fic; that's where he's gonna stay for now, too!

Serenity: Now, do the disclaimer for us.

Seto: No.

Marik: Why should we?

both girls whisper something in their ears

Marik: MoonGoddessSerenity does not own anything in this fic except for the plot & her OC. All else belongs to its respective owners.

Seto: However, she does also own the song that _she _wrote, which is featured in this chapter. If you wish to use that at all, you must ask first and give proper credit for it.

Serenity: mutters Not sure why anybody would wanna use it, anyhow.

Vash: What'd you tell them, anyhow.

Trinity: I don't think we could say that without having to up the rating for this fic.

Serenity: That reminds me: if you are as bored as to actually want this to be a lemon, just lemme know in your review.

Trinity: Sere, why don't you just go back to working on the next chapter, seeing as how you finally figured out what you're going to do to end this now.

Serenity: At least let them finish this one, girl. Shout outs to y'all that reviewed!!! Enjoy!!!!

__

The Exchange Student The Long Awaited Festival

Stardust just gaped at the car as her cousin and best friend drove away, while she was stuck holding the keychain to the car in front of her. 'Holy fucking shit! I got a freaking car!' She then yelled after the car, "THANK YOU GUYS!!!" Then ran back inside.

"What was that all about," Kyo asked. "I just got a freaking car! WOOHOO!!!" Star began to jump around the room. "Uh, Miss Stardust, try to calm down a bit, would you?" "Yuki, for the goddesses' sakes, _call me Courtney. _Or Star, whichever you prefer." She smiled as she set the keys on the counter and drank a glass of orange juice. "Alright. I'm gonna head over to the mansion, all right? I gotta get a few things from my room first, then I'll head out." With that, she bounded up the stairs again to get whatever she needed.

Kyo and the others stared at each other for a moment, then helped Tohru clean up from breakfast. They heard a loud banging noise come from the stairs and glanced over to see Star dragging about three of her suitcases, plus the box that Amy had given her. "Courtney, what in the hell do you have there?" "Suitcases. Very heavy suitcases. Now, if you guys will excuse me, I kinda promised the others that I'd help set up for the festival. See y'all lata!" With that, she finished loading the trunks into her car and drove off.

Everyone just stood at the door. "Uh, who was that, and what have they done with Courtney," they all asked each other. Shigure then looked at the door and found a note. "Oh, look! She left us a note!" He then proceeded to read it aloud for all to hear.

__

"'Kyo, Tohru, Shigure, & Yuki,

I know that I was probably a little snappy this morning, but that's because I needed to head over to Hota-chan's place to help set up for the festival. I won't be in school for a while probably, and I won't be back for a few days. If y'all wanted to stop by sometime and help out, that'd be a big help toe all of us. I mean, sure, there are roughly 2,000 people here, but that's just all the girls. I'll be in touch if I can!

Lots o' love,

Courtney Stardust'"

"Well then," Shigure sighed, "I suppose that one of our brilliant little lights has gone out around here. Well, at least we still have sweet little Tohru!" He looked around and saw that everyone had gone inside already. Shigure then skipped inside to see where they had all gone. "Hello, where is everyone?" Kyo was the one he heard yell from upstairs. "We're getting ready to head over to the mansion to help out, you damn dog! If ya wanna come, then put your ass into high gear and get ready ta come with us!"

About 15 minutes later, the four of them left the house and walked over towards the mansion. Attached to the letter that Stardust had left them was a set of directions on how to get there, and who to ask for upon arrival. As soon as they came to the edge of the driveway, they all dropped their jaws. The place looked more like a palace than a mansion; it was that huge. There must've been at least 10 stories, and the entire property took up at least 30 acres. The group's jaws were hanging pretty low. "Oh, my, God." They all breathed at the same time.

Just then, they noticed several trucks being unloaded by a few dozen teenage girls. Shigure started up his chant again, as Kyo & Yuki pounded him into the ground. After they managed to pull up back up, they headed off towards the enormous front doors. Knocking, they noticed that Queen Serenity answered, but she was not wearing her royal gown as they had seen her before. She was comfortably dressed in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. She smiled at them. "Hay! Nice to see you guys again! Please, come in." They all bowed and entered the place. The foyer was, again, huge, and a giant crystal chandelier was hanging in the middle of the wooded room.

As they were being lead into the living room, they heard a loud screaming noise coming down the stairs, followed by several pairs of feet flying down the stairs. **"GODDAMN YOU, BUNNY!!! YOU ARE _SO _FRIGGIN DEAD WHEN WE CATCH UP WITH YOU, YOU LITTLE SLUT!!!!" **They all glanced up to see Bunny being chased down the stairs by Rei, Shorty, & Poet, while Sapphire & Selenity slid down the banister & jumped in front of the blonde. They were all furious at her, while she began shaking.

Bunny then noticed Serenity, and went to hide behind her, forcing herself to cry. "Bunny, what'd you do now?" Serenity sighed. "Serena," Rei said through clenched teeth, "That little brat just about destroyed _everything _in the control room. When we found her, she had _this _on her." Rei then held up a small pink notebook. Serena's eyes grew wide as she whirled around towards Bunny. "Bunny, what were you doing with that? ANSWER ME!"

The little blonde looked up at the queen, trying to look innocent; however, she couldn't even make eye contact with her. "B-but Serenity, I-I didn't do anything!" She began to cry, but everyone just rolled their eyes. "Bunny," Shorty cut in, her eyes beginning to glow white, while her hair floated a bit, "just cut the shit will ya?! We all saw you go into Serena's room & come out with the notebook. We also saw you enter the control center, so stop trying to save your sorry ass!" Poet put a hand on her sister's shoulder to keep Shorty form going off.

See, whenever Shorty got pissed off, or if she were sparring, her eyes would go from silver to almost white, and her hair would start to float a bit. If you were ever the target of her anger, pray to anything that'll listen for mercy, cause it's doubtful that she'll show any. Right now, her anger was focused on Bunny.

Serenity looked at Bunny. "Bunny, I want you to go wait in the Gray Room for me, alright? I'll be in shortly to speak to you. Selenity, Sapphire? Please escort her down there, would you?" Both girls nodded, then grabbed Bunny by the arms and dragged her down to the room.

Serena turned back to the quartet, who was standing there in shock at what they had just seen. "Oh, I am so sorry that you had to se that." She smiled. "It's just that ever since we were planning to come here, Bunny's been acting a little strange. I think it's time we let her go. Anyhow, will you please follow me? You must be thirsty." They were lead through the house into what they assumed to be the kitchen. Lita was busy making something for lunch, as were a few of the other students. Lita smiled at everybody, then got Tohru to help finish cooking the food. Serenity grabbed the drinks for everyone, and they were about to sit down when they heard loud shouts coming from outside.

Kyo raised an eyebrow as he headed out back to see what was going on, with Yuki, Shigure, & Serena right behind. He noted that there was a _huge _pool about 100 feet from the house, with three waterfalls, 2 slides, and at least a dozen diving boards, all different heights. Then he noticed that the rest of the property was mostly open fields, except for a small two-story cottage a little ways away, and a crowd of people were gathered around something, so he headed over to see.

He managed to find a clear space between a few boys, so that he wouldn't transform. He looked in front of him, and found that everyone was gathered around a sparring ring. The two fighters were getting ready to begin. There was Shorty, receiving a pep talk from her sister and a few friends, while a young man with spiky black hair, dressed in all black – who was not too much taller than Shorty – stood on the other end of the ring.

Kyo turned to the boy next to him, which turned out to be Grady. "Hay, what's going on here?" Kyo asked while still keeping an eye in the ring. "Oh, just Shorty and Hiei going at it again. Ya know, for being a couple, they sure do fight a lot." Grady sipped his soda before turning back to the ring. There was a tree right behind them, where Adrian was busy collecting money. "Alright, y'all! Place your bets on who's gonna win the fight today? Will Hiei retain his title as champion, or will Shorty pull through and tackle her rival? Not that she already doesn't-" This earned him a few glares, causing him to swallow and go back to collecting bets.

Finally, the fighters were ready, and someone hit a bell. They both started to dart around the large ring while friends and classmates cheered them on.

"C'mon Hiei!"

"You can kick his ass, Shorty!"

"Show the Forbidden Child that he's not the only one that can fight!"

"Wipe the floor with her, Hiei!"

"Prove that women _are_ smarter than boys, girl! Don't let him beat you this time!"

"Don't forget your training, girl!"

Adrian was now sitting on one of the tree limbs that hung over the ring a bit, with a microphone and an amplifier, giving the commentary. "Oh, a nice punch from Hiei, though it didn't hit his target! Nice kick from Shorty, hitting Hiei in the leg! Oh, now _that _was a little below the belt! Shorty just managed to knee Hiei, and it doesn't look like he's in top shape at the moment!" Adrian's southern accent could be heard all around the house, since he was speaking loudly & the amp was turned all the way up.

When Hiei finally got up, he turned around to find Shorty standing behind him in a fighting stance. He jumped back to the other corner of the ring an smirked. "Hn; so we're fighting dirty now, are we? Well, to can play that game, love." Hiei then discarded his shirt, causing every single girl there to drool –if not swoon – while all the boys grew jealous. Curses and mutters of "show-off" could be heard among the crowed.

Shorty just glared while trying not to blush. "Now, _that _just goes beyond below the belt, Hiei. No straight woman could fight against that!" she wined. He just smirked. "That's the general idea, isn't it?" Just then, all of Shorty's closest friends – save for Star, who wasn't there – began screaming at her.

"DON'T LET HIM USE SEX APPEAL ON YOU!"

"FIGHT HIS HOTTNESS, DAMNIT, WOMAN!"

"WITHOLD SEX FROM HIM UNTIL HE AT LEAST PUTS ON AN UNDERSHIRT!"

Poet raised an eyebrow at Selenity and Sapphire. "Was that really necessary, guys?" "YES!" They said together, "If we have $500 each on her winning today, then Hell yes!" Shorty just smirked, then went back to fighting. About a half an hour later, she finally landed one good kick right below his throat, knocking him onto his back.

Before he could get up, she jumped on top of both his arms, bending down over him. "Game over," she said between breaths, "and I win." She smirked. "Wow! Shorty's just knocked Hiei down, so time to start the count!" Adrian's voice boomed. "1…2…3! And Shorty takes the win, and Hiei's title!" All the girls screamed while rushing Adrian for their winnings. Hiei was lying on the ground, still breathing heavily. Once Shorty moved one of her feet off his arm, he grabbed it and pulled her down on top of him, flipping her over.

"Hiei, I believe that I won this match," Shorty said, blushing lightly, "so why are you on top of me?" Hiei smirked. "You may have won _this _match," he responded, "but there's another one that _I _am still dominant in; or don't you remember?" He then closed off the space left between their faces in a hot, passionate kiss. "Aww, c'mon you two," Geoff said after handing over his cash to Adrian, "we don't need to see that out here! Get a room, would ya?!"

'Hmm, not such a bad idea,' Hiei said to Shorty telepathically, 'should we take his advice?'

'Of course! Then you can try to prove that theory of yours.' Shorty smiled against his lips as he stood up, grabbing her hand and leading her back towards the house. **[I don't think I need to say any more about that, do I? Shorty: NNNOOOOO!! I wanna read a lemon w/ me & Hiei! Sere: Girlie, chill.]**

As soon as everyone had collected their winnings & handed over their money, a few of the girls decided to go for a swim. It was pretty warm out that day, so they were already wearing their suits underneath their clothes. Kyo was sitting in the shade with a few of the guys, when they saw Selenity, Sapphire, Poet, Claire, Melissa, & Shar begin to strip down to their suits, receiving quite a few cat calls. This also caused Vash, Yusuke, InuTaisho **[InuYasha's dad, FYI! I'm not too sure on the spelling, but in this fic, he's Shar's bf; sorry ladies!]**, & Legolas to walk over and stand next to their girls possessively. Then they went to get changed into their trunks & join the girls. Shar was wearing a black and silver bikini, while she tied he hair up into a ponytail before diving off one of the boards. Claire wore a blue backless one-piece, then climbed to the top of one waterfall before diving off into the deep end, which was about 15 ft. Poet ended up floating on a raft, wearing a dark purple tankini with purple sunglasses on.

Selenity and Sapphire were playing a game of volleyball with Vash and Legolas in the middle of the pool. Selenity wore a green & gold bikini while Sapphire had on a dark blue, black, & silver one. Melissa was sitting on Yusuke's lap in the hot tub; wearing a green bikini **[though once they get inside, I'm not too sure how long _that's _gonna stay on…lol!] **while Yusuke was a little busy giving her lips some attention.

Kyo was looking around to see what everyone was doing, when suddenly there was a loud noise like a gun had gone off coming from the cottage. Everyone heard it, and whirled around just in time to see the top floor explode and several things come flying out; one thing which was a body. Before it could hit the ground, several of the guys that had been hanging around caught it. Everyone gathered around, but Kyo got there first. "Star," he breathed, "what happened?!"

Kyo dropped to his knees, checking to see if she was alright. Suddenly, her eyes flew open and she sat up, rubbing her head. "Owww, didn't expect that one." She said, while glancing around. "Ami! Rei! A little help with the blaze over here?!" Rei and Ami had also been out side when the explosion happened, nodded and headed over toward the inferno. Ami froze everything that was on fire first, then Rei went back after that and carefully thawed it all out. As soon as they were done, Star raced up the stairs to what was left of the top floor. "Did it work?" she could be heard muttering. Finally, she found what she was looking for, then came bounding down the stairs. "KYO!" She shouted. "COME HERE FOR A SEC!" Kyo stood up. Even though she was about 100 ft. away, she threw something at him, which he caught. It was a rope bracelet with an orange bead in the middle of it. He put it on his wrist, next to the black and white beaded one, just as Star came hurtling towards him………

And hugged him, causing everyone to hold their breath.

And nothing happened.

Once Kyo realized this, he pushed her off of him slightly, gazing wide-eyed into her face. "H-how did you do that?" he asked. She just smiled at him. "Ames helped out a lot with it, but we finally got it right. Happy about it?" She then pulled out two more from her pocket and tossed them to Shigure and Yuki; one with a black bead and the other with a gray one. Kyo turned her back around and kissed her hard on the mouth. When they finally pulled away, he left his forehead on hers, and while keeping his eyes closed, he whispered to her, "Have I told you lately how much I love you, Star?" She just kissed him back and smiled against his lips.

****

[Oh, I think I'll just stop it here for now……nah! I'm not gonna do that to y'all, seeing as you guys had to wait so long. I may be exhausted, but I will work on this as long as I can w/o getting caught!]

Later that evening, Tohru and the Soma men had to leave, seeing as how the festival was the next day and the students were going to need their rest. Star gave Tohru the rest of the bracelets that she could deliver to the rest of the zodiac members when she got the chance. Of course, Tohru didn't get that part of it, so she grabbed Yuki and got him to help her deliver the rest of them. Kyo and Shigure waved good-bye to their new friends, then headed home to get some sleep for tomorrow.

The next morning, Star was one of the first to wake up. She jumped out of bed and looked at her clock. "Gack! It's only quarter of 5?! This is just insane. I'm _never _up this early! What am I thinking??? Well, might as well get dressed." She walked into her bathroom and took a shower, then went to get dressed. She slipped into a white strapless dress that stopped mid-thigh with a black ribbon tied in a bow just under her bust.

Before she headed downstairs to get something to eat, she noticed that everyone else in the hall was still sleeping. Or that's what you would think if you didn't listen to each door first. Rolling her eyes, she stood in the middle of the hall. 'I'm not used to being up before the rest of them; usually someone's banging on my door trying to get me up. Heh heh heh, revenge is sweet.'

Star crossed her arms and looked up at the ceiling and began to tap her foot. "You know," she began just loud enough for everyone to hear, "if this keeps up, I just might have to tell Serenity what I found lying on the floor the other day. I mean, I'm not too sure who would be careless to leave a _used condom _just lying about in the hall, but-" She was quickly cut off by all the other doors being flung open by Yusuke, Legolas, InuTaisho, Vash, Hiei, Kurama, and Haru, all wearing sheets around their waists.

Star arched an eyebrow towards Claire's door. "Haru? What are you doin' here?" Just then, Claire appeared right behind him. "What can I say, Greasecake? He may be white in public, but he's pure black in the bedroom!" Star cracked up while trying to look appalled by the comment. "Too much info there, grease! Was that really necessary? Anyhow, can y'all finish up whatever it is that you're doing right now in the shower? We really need to start getting ready."

Star headed down to the kitchen to already find Drift already making breakfast. Drift stood about 5'3 with green eyes and long, wavy brown hair that had bright pink streaks in it. She had on a light blue tank top and a pair of beige cargo pants. "Hay, Drift. You're up unusually early. Need any help with that?"

Drift looked up from the fridge. "Oh, hay Star. Yah, thanks. Can you grab the pancake mix over there?" Star nodded then set about helping with the food. Suddenly she noticed that her friend couldn't stop smiling, and she had this dreamy expression on her face. "Ok, Drift, spill." Drift looked at her, confused. "What'd ya mean, Star?" "Oh, come on, Greasecake! Who's the lucky guy? I can tell that you met someone, and if you don't tell me, I will ask every single person here if they know who it is."

Drift just sighed. "I don't even know his name. I was outside yesterday, helping to unload the trucks, when I bumped into this guy. He was a little taller than me, with reddish hair and the most awesome eyes. I mean, they were red, for Athena's sake! I think he was wearing a red T-shirt and a pair of black cargo pants, and he was barefoot for some reason. Well, we just started talking, and just out of the blue, he kissed me!"

Stardust's eyes grew wide and she laughed, then motioned for her friend to continue.

"Yah, laugh it up. Anyhow, I was completely shocked, but he pulled away before I could do anything. He stood up to leave, and I called after him, seeing as how he hadn't left a name for me. He smiled back at me, and told me that he'd come to the fair today. I guess that now I just can't wait to see him again." Star smiled. "Awwww, our ickle Drifty ickykins is in wve, hmm? Well, good luck with that mystery man of yours, alright?"

As soon as they finished making the pancakes, Star and Drift each picked up a pot and a wooden spoon, then went around the house getting everyone up by banging as loud as they could. About 15 minutes later, everyone was downstairs in the kitchen eating. As soon as they were all done, Several people headed outside to finish setting things up.

About an hour and a half later, the entire property was covered with booths, demonstration arenas, stages, and anything else you could think of. Sound systems were wired all over the place, and the most delicious smells were floating from several locations. At about 11, they began to let people come in for the festival. Everything there seemed to blow the visitors' minds, and they had a fabulous time.

It was a little after lunch when Tohru and the Somas showed up. Yes, when I say Soma, I mean all but Akito. Everyone walked in, where Ivy and Claire greeted them. "Welcome to the 100**th** annual Moonbeam Academy Festival of the Arts!" they both chimed. "You are our special guests today!" Claire said, winking at Haru, who had headed back home earlier in the morning. "Please feel free to go anywhere on the property, and make sure you have some fun! But remember," Ivy began speaking in a cryptic tone, "the Greesecakes _will _rule the world someday – OWW!! Shar, you didn't have to hit so hard!" Ivy rubbed the lump on the back of her head.

Shar just sighed and rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Ivy. Go off with your plant boy or something, would ya? Or better yet, I think that the Otaku book is being overrun at the moment…" Ivy then ran back to the booth. "Uh, Greasecakes?" Kagura questioned. Claire shook her head. "Inside joke, Kag. Do you mind if I call you that?" Kagura shook her head, then ran into the fair to see what she could find, with the rest if her family close behind. As they headed in, Shar noted the bracelets on their wrists.

Kyo was wandering around, looking for Courtney. He noticed that everyone was demonstrating what they did, and he was very impressed by what was going on. Suddenly, he heard a voice. "Alright, now make sure you hold onto this one, alright? Don't want anymore balloons floating up to the Moon, now do we?" He whirled around to see her handing a little boy a blue balloon, laughing. As soon as the boy ran back to his mother, he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Kyo!" she laughed after a sharp intake of breath, "Don't scare me like that! Now I'm starting to wonder if giving you that bracelet was a good idea or not."

"Aww, don't be like that. I can't help it if I can't keep my hands off of you, now can I? Besides, you know you like it."

"Oh, yes you can! But I will admit that I don't mind."

She led him over to the lemonade stand where she grabbed them two drinks. They headed all over the grounds, laughing at all they saw. They even saw Hatori get pushed into the pool by one young lady, who then jumped in after him. It really was funny to watch!

They ended up sitting under a tree farther out from the house; Star sitting in Kyo's lap with his arms wrapped possessively around her. "I'm glad you came, Kyo." She smiled. "So am I. It's very interesting to see tat damn rat looking so flustered when Tohru kept bumping into him!" He got an evil look in his eyes as he gave a short, demonic laugh.

"Kyo, what have I told you about picking on those two? Just let them figure out that they love each other and shut up about beating him already!" She rolled her eyes. "Aww, you know that it's an old habit that I just can't seem to break! Jeez, give me some slack, would ya?" She just turned her head to face him and placed a chaste kiss on his mouth before turning around again. She sighed contently, leaning back into his chest and closing her eyes, just enjoying being with him. She drifted into a light sleep, with Kyo shortly falling asleep, too.

All too soon, there were three people trying to wake them up.

"Oi, Hoshi! Get up!"

"I have some doughnuts for ya, cuz!"

"Vash, shudd up with the doughnuts already."

"Sorry, Sapphire."

"COURTNEY ARTIMIS STARDUST!!! GET YOUR LASY ASS UP ALREADY!!!"

Kyo and Star bolted upright as the voices entered their heads. Selenity glared down at Star. "Hoshi, do you realize what time it is???" the blonde glared at her friend. "Un, Lady, what the hell are you talking about," Star groaned, "Just let me go back to sleep, would ya?"

"Star, as much as we hate to interrupt your erotic fantasies-" Sapphire dodges a hit to the back of the head from her sister "-you already promised that you would sing today! You have 15 minutes before you half to perform, and everyone is already set up for it!" Courtney groaned and leaned back onto Kyo's chest again. "Fine, fine; but I am not walking back up there again."

Kyo rolled his eyes, then helped her to stand up before picking her up princess style and started heading back up to the mansion. "Kyo," she shrieked while laughing, "What are you doing?!" "Well, you said that you weren't going to walk back, so how else are we supposed to get you to move your damn ass?" He laughed as they all headed back up to the house.

When they finally got there, they saw Drift talking to a man with dirty blond hair, light green eyes and a good tan; also a women with ghostly pale skin, long dark hair and deep blue eyes. **[Heh heh heh; several of the people reading this know who these two are. Now, don't go getting all freaked out that our otherworldly friends are in this fic; I just had ta do it!] **Star noticed that Drift was wearing her signature dark blue trenchcoat on. "Yo, Drift! What's up?" Star shouted to her friend. She turned around and ran over to her friend. "Hay, Greasecake! Oh, these guys are Comet and Raven; they'll be helping out around here for a while. Now, get your ass onto the stage and be ready to perform, damnit!!"

Drift began to push Star towards the large stage close to the pool. "Jeez, Drift; I thought you were supposed to be the quiet one!" Star laughed while her friend pushed her onto the stage, where a few of her friends were already prepared to play. Ivy & Sapphire were on lead guitar, while Claire was on base. Selenity and Michelle were tuning their violins while Amara was sitting at the piano. Shar was over on the soundboard, and everyone was waiting for Star to get on the lead mike.

She stood on the stage, smiled at her friends, and took a deep breath before speaking. "How's everybody doing today?" she asked the crowed. There was a good response from them before she continued. "That's good to hear! Now, I was forced into performing today, so I'll give y'all a song before we let you go back to the rest of the activities we have planned for you today! But first, thank you so much for coming today! It wouldn't have been such a success without all of you! Give yourselves a round of applause!"

The crowed cheered before she spoke again. "Alright, this selection was written by me a while ago, and I hope you enjoy it. The piece is entitled, 'Rain.' So let's have some fun!" With that, she signaled for her friends to begin playing. As soon as the intro was done, she began to sing.

__

"When I stepped out of the light did you

Look to your left and right to see the Shadows growing

'Cause when I looked into your eyes I saw

Pain filled crimson skies

With a secret

Untold

What is it that you can't trust me with?

What's wrong?

And while I wait for you to say

I pray

Then I say

Rain, rain, go away

Don't come back another day

Let me walk down the path into his heart

When I look into the sky I think of

Pain and blood–stained eyes

That makes me cry out this plea:

Let me free his soul

Is this how your life reacts

By hiding yourself from the last

Person that seems to care for you

And how can anyone protect you

From the secret that engulfs you

Right down to your toes

What is it that you can't trust me with?

What's wrong?

So while I wait for you to say

I'll close my eyes

And say

Rain, rain, go away

Don't come back another day

Let me walk down the path into his heart

When I look into the sky I think of

Pain and blood–stained eyes

That makes me cry out this plea:

Let me free his soul

Rain, rain, go away

Don't come back another day

Let me walk down the path into his heart

When I look into the sky I think of

Pain and blood–stained eyes

That makes me cry out this plea:

Let me free his soul

And I lay up against my door

Crying on the floor

Hoping that I'll here you call out my name

Then you'll tell me it's gonna be alright

Because you found your light

And I wanna here you say

Rain, rain, go away

Don't come back another day

Let her open the gate into my heart

Sky, sky, here my cry

Let me sing this lullaby

To awaken the light trapped inside of me

Rain, rain, go away

Don't come back another day

Let us open the door into your heart

Sky, sky, here our cry

Let us sing our lullaby

To awaken the light that's trapped inside

Moon, moon, save us soon

Before our hearts are filled with doom

Unleash the secrets buried beneath

The Dark

Sun, sun, here we come

A new day has begun

The storm will pass

Will make it last

Will free the light

And beat the storm

Rain, rain, go away

Sky, sky, here our cry

Moon, Moon, save us soon

Sun, sun, here we come

Rain, rain, sky, sky

Moon, moon, sun, sun

Rain, rain, moon, moon

Sky, sky, sun, sun

Rain, rain, go away

Rain, rain, go away

Rain, rain, go away

Rain, rain,

Rain…

Rain"

Once the final chord was struck, the audience burst into applause and catcalls. Kyo just glared at a few of the guys that were talking about her, which made them shut up immediately. Star was blushing slightly, surprised by the reaction of the crowed. She bowed, thanked them one last time, then walked off the stage, laughing.

As soon as her feet touched the ground, Kyo ran over to her and picked her up, twirling her high in the air, before bringing her back down to plant a kiss on her laughing lips. "You were amazing, baby." He said against her lips. "I've never seen you so happy." "Except for when I'm with you, love. Then I know that I'm in Heaven." She smiled at him, then threw her arms around his neck before pulling him back in for another kiss.

Once it was finally dark, Star was sitting on the stage with her friends, eating while the lights came on that had been placed around the area. Suddenly, Star noticed someone leaning against the edge of the house, and realized who it had to be as soon as the light came on near them. "Uh, Drift," she said with a smile, "I think that there's someone you'd be _very _interested in introducing to us over there." She pointed to the young man leaning against the house while everyone's heads turned.

Drift's eyebrows rose as she stood up and ran over to him. They talked for a few moments before coming back over to join the rest of the group. "Well, guys," Drift began, "This is Seth." The redhead smiled at them while Drift finished making the introductions.

"Well, Seth," Shar said, "we've heard a lot about you from Drift here. You better treat her right or else Courtney's gonna feel the need to castrate you." She smiled sweetly as she sipped her soda. Drift shot Shar a look while everyone else – including Seth – burst into fits of laughter.

Eventually, though, the others had to leave. Apparently, Seth traveled around a lot, so all he had was his backpack. Of course, the other girls forced him to stay with them. Naturally, they also forced him to sleep in Drift's room. They waved good-bye to the Somas and Tohru, then headed in for the night.

Just before they were getting ready to head upstairs, Serenity stopped Star. "Courtney," she called, "Can you please go into my study? I need to speak with you." "Sure, no prob., Sere." Star then headed off to the room in question.

Once she got there, she waited outside the door for Serenity to come. As soon as she arrived, she opened the door and let both of them inside, shutting the door behind them. Serenity moved behind the desk and sat down. "Please, have a seat, Courtney." The brunette sat in one of the chairs placed across from the desk. "So," she said to the queen, "What can I do for ya, milady?"

****

A/N: Dun dun dun! Thank you guys so much for sticking with me this far! I should be done in a few more chapters, so there's still a little ways to go for this!

Trinity: Girl, I still can't get over how long it took you to finish this chapter. I mean, come _on! _That's just sad, Hoshi.

Serenity: Trin, it took me that long to finish getting Mr. Writers' Block outta my room, down the steps, and out the door with all his crap, so gimme a break!

****

Trinity: Whatever; just try not to take as long next time!

Serenity: If I get enough reviews, then I'll update sooner!

Trinity: in other words, REVIEW, DAMNIT!!!

Serenity

Goddess of the Moon


	11. Before the Dawn

**A/N: _nervous laugh_ Yah, it's been a while... don't shoot me! Anyway, this is the second to last chapter! FINALLY! I've realized that I've grown a bit as a writer, so finishing this thing - finally - was a bit on the difficult side, trying to remember where I was going with it. Enjoy, and please send me reviews!**

**_Lost Before the Dawn_**

"What's going on, Highness," Star asked cautiously, noting the serious look on Serenity's face. "I'm getting bad vibes."

Serenity sighed, collecting her thoughts. "As you know, we took you in when you were still young-"

"Yeah, and I'm grateful to you for that."

"Yes, so you've always said. However, do you _really_ know what happened to your parents?"

"...What?"

-----------------------------

Kyo slumped down onto his bed, exhaling a deep breath. He began to fiddle with his newest bracelet, the day's events flashing before his eyes. When they first heard that they were getting a house guest, he'd been so worried about it. Now, he didn't want her to leave, sadly enough.

'How'd I get to this place,' Kyo thought. 'Did I grow? Did my training transcend what I thought it would?'

Just then, he heard a noise from Tohru's room. Arching an eyebrow, Kyo stood up, quietly walking down the hall to slide open the door a bit, quickly shutting it again. It wasn't bad enough that he was already having his _own _female problems, but he did _not _need to see Yuki and Tohru like...well, _that._

Shaking his head, he quickly headed back to his bed, lying down and trying to get a decent sleep for a change.

-----------------------------

"You were so young when it happened, I didn't expect for you to remember," Serenity continued. "Your mother and father loved you dearly; took you everywhere with them."

"Yes, that's what I've been informed of the past twelve years."

"Do you know who your parents were?"

"Aside from my parents, no; should I?" Courtney was beginning to get a sinking feeling that something bad was going to come up, and nothing good could come from that.

Serenity rubbed the side of her head. "Very wealthy people, who were kind and considerate of everyone and everything; never had an enemy to my knowledge, either of them. Then, one day, they chose to take a private plane and fly it to the Caribbean. Your father was piloting it."

"Let me guess: it crashed into the sea, right," Courtney guessed, assuming that was how they died, as tragic as it was.

"Yes, however, it wasn't just the two of them on the plane."

"Who else?"

Serenity leaned forward on the desk, looking Star straight in the eye. "They took their only daughter aboard with them."

"Wh-what?"

"Courtney, you were on the plane; and there were no survivors."

The younger of the two women sat there for a minute, trying to process this. "So, what you're saying is that...is that I..."

"Star, you died."

--------------------------------

Her phone rang, and looking at the collar ID, she answered.

"Yes?"

"What's the current state of things over there?"

"She's being informed as we speak," she replied curtly to the voice on the other end.

"So tonight, then?"

"Yes sir, tonight."

"Good."

The line went dead.

Sighing, she placed the phone down, tying her hair back. 'Tonight's the night,' she thought. 'Soon it'll all be over.'

-----------------------------------

"I don't believe you."

"What reason do you have not to believe me," Serenity asked.

"If I died, how comes it that I'm sitting in front of you right this very moment?"

"Well, not completely dead, per say. You were barely clinging on, and you were only two..."

"So, what, I had some life-altering surgery or something?"

"Actually..."

"Oh, of course!"

"I'm being serious."

"And who was this wonderful doctor that saved my life, then?"

A knock was heard at the door.

"Enter," Serenity called, and a familiar figure entered the room.

"Seth?"

"Ah yes, you two have recently been reacquainted, haven't you? Courtney, may I present Dr. Seth Godfrey; the man who saved your life."

"Actually, I think it was more of gave you a new one."

"Wait, how old are you?"

"Old enough, if you must know."

"Does Drift know this?"

"Yeah, about that..."

"Whatever, I'll leave you two to figure that out. So, about this whole theory that you all keep telling me..."

"Yes, that," Seth began. "During the operation, so much of your regular bone and tissue had to be replaced with metal-"

"What?"

"We had to replace most of your body with metal parts."

"So, I'm like a cyborg, then?"

"In essence, yes."

"And no one saw fit to tell me this? Something that kind of affects, oh, I don't know, _everything _about my life?"

"We couldn't tell you; you wouldn't have believed us."

"Oh, so you think I believe you know?"

Seth reached into his pocket, pulling out a metal detector and waving it over Courtney's left arm, a beeping noise coming from it.

"What in the...?"

"I'm so sorry, Courtney."

"N-no...it's cool, I guess...so, anything else I should know about?"

"You've got something in your chest," Seth said bluntly.

"Excuse me?"

"During one of the operations-"

"_One of?_"

"Yes, one of; as you got older, components needed to be upgraded; we did them while you were asleep."

"Okay, um, continue?"

"Well, we placed this crystal inside you; you're carrying around one of those all-important stones of the universe in front of your heart; the Eternity Crystal."

"I'm _what?_"

"That's why when you were attacked," Serenity spoke up, "your wounds began to heal fairly quickly; regenerating powers of the stone. It's also the reason that you were able to defeat him; your body tapped into the crystal."

"But, why me? Why not some safe somewhere," Courtney asked, placing a hand over her chest. "It could have just as easily been put there!"

"Security, Star-"

"No, don't you 'Star' me! I...I need to get some fresh air," Courtney bolted up out of her chair, running for the door.

Serenity slumped back into her desk chair, sighing. "Well, that went better than expected."

"Your Majesty, should someone-"

"No need; she'll be fine, I think."

"Of course, Highness."

"You can go now, Doctor Godfrey."

"Thank you."

---------------------------------------

Star just kept running as fast as she could, not even paying attention to where she was. Finally stopping, she sat down on a rock, her body shaking from heavy breathing and anxiety.

'I don't get it,' she kept thinking. 'How could this have happened? Everything was a lie? And, who all knew about this?' Questions raced through her head, everything completely muddled. Her brain was so muddled, in fact, that she didn't pick up the footsteps behind her until it was too late and a crashing blow hit her in the back of the head, sending Courtney into pitch blackness.

----------------------------------------

_Ring_

_Ring_

_Ri-_

"Hello?"

"Kyo? It's Claire. Is Courtney over there by any chance?"

Kyo tried to wake up at the ungodly hours. "No, I don't think so; why," he suddenly said, realizing that something was wrong.

"She ran out of the house a few hours ago, and no one's seen her since; we did a full sweep of the grounds, and we can't find her, or Bunny. There's something very wrong."

"I'll be right there; we're going to find her, alright?"

"Thanks, I'll get the gates opened."

She hung up, Kyo grabbing a pair of shoes and running out the door, scribbling a note with only two words on it before racing down the street.

_'Star's missing.'_

-----------------------------------------------

Courtney woke with a groan, rubbing the back of her neck. Opening her eyes, she realized she was on the floor of some room, and there were people arguing behind a screen. Trying to get up and move, she heard the clank of a chain. Looking down, she saw her arms had shackles on them.

'Shit,' she thought, 'this is _not _good.'

Tuning into the argument more, the only voice she could really hear was a familiar female voice. 'Bunny? What the hell's going on here...?'

"No, you promised me that if I brought her here you'd let me stay! I gave up everything for this!" she kept yelling at whoever else was back there. "And now that you've got what you want, you're just going to toss me aside? Akito, you can't _do this!_"

_'Shit.'_

Just then, the sound of a gun went off and a body slumping to the floor. Star started to freak out, because a gun was never a good sign. That's when Akito walked from behind the screen.

"It's good to finally meet you, Courtney," he said, his voice dripping with sickening sweetness.

"Well then it's definitely all you, Akito. How about you just let me go, and I won't tell anyone that you just shot someone in cold blood?"

"Ah, you heard that, then?"

"Kind of hard to miss," she yelled, yanking at the chains. "The hell do you want with me, anyway?"

"And I thought that was obvious," he said, kneeling down in front of her, cupping her chin with his hand. "I want that small crystal that's inside of your chest."

"Over my dead body," she spat.

"That can be arranged," he glared, throwing her to the floor, pulling a knife from inside his robes. Pushing herself up, Star moved away from the madman, not liking the prospect of being killed too much.

Akito took a swing at her, with Star barely dodging it, earning a cut on the arm. It went on like this for a while, her getting a few gashes and Akito coming after her relentlessly.

'I can't keep this up,' she thought, ducking again, still trying to get out of the chains.

The screen door was suddenly broken in.

"Get the fuck away from her," Kyo yelled, racing straight at Akito and shoving him to the ground, the knife flying off somewhere. Breathing heavily, Courtney looked over at where the door used to be, only to find Claire, Serenity, Drift, and Rei approaching. When Claire and Drift ran for the door, a barrier suddenly went up.

"Serenity, what the hell? Why aren't you letting us in?"

"She could _die in there! _Are you nuts?"

"No, I don't think she is," Rei said, looking at the scene inside the room: Kyo and Akito pretty much trying to kill each other, Star looking at all of them, confusion and fear written all over her face.

"What?"

"This is their fight; let them settle it."

"Rei..."

"She's right," Serenity said, placing a hand on both of the younger girls' shoulders. "They'll be fine; I full faith in Courtney."

Star was trying to comprehend the part where they weren't letting her out. Glancing around, she saw that when Kyo had jumped in, a key also seemed to have been displaced from Akito's personage. Scrambling for it, she was relieved that it was the one that unlocked the chains, and did so, rubbing her now red wrists. Glancing next to her, she saw Bunny's body lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

"You stupid idiot," she said, shaking her head. "I thought you knew better than that; trying to hack into the system at the house, and giving me over to him? All you did was get yourself killed." Star kept alternating off between sadness and anger at the girl on the floor.

A crash came from behind her, causing Star's head to whip around when she saw Kyo go flying into another screen wall, and he didn't seem to be getting up.

"KYO!"

Nothing.

Shaking, she slowly stood up, seeing Akito regaining his composure. "You...you _bastard. _How _dare you _do that to him!" Some of the debris on the floor began to shake, that same creepy purple glow coming back around her body, the star and moon symbol creeping back onto her forehead.

Kyo slowly came back to consciousness, rubbing his head where a large gash was. Actually, most of his body was pretty scraped up by this point, but Akito looked worse for the wear. Slowly sitting up, he saw said psychopath slowly advancing in the direction of a glowing purple light.

"Star," he yelled, trying to move out as quickly as he could, which really wasn't that fast at the moment. A blast of energy shot from the corner of the room, taking Akito with it. When the light faded, Kyo rubbed his eyes, seeing that there was no longer one side to the room. Looking over to where the blast came from, he saw Star still glowing, looking utterly pissed off.

"Star? Hey, calm down, I'm fine; he's gone, you don't have to fight anymore."

Glowing purple eyes shot in his direction, softening, the glow going away. "Kyo..."

He slowly walked over to her, pulling the girl into a hug. "It's okay, shh, it's done. I'm right here, okay," he soothed as she cried into his shoulder. "Everything's going to be all right now."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

----------------------------------------

It had been a month since the incident, and Akito was gone. There were many broken bones between Kyo and Courtney, but it wasn't anything Hatori said couldn't be fixed with time and lots of pain killers.

Kyo was walking on the back deck, his right arm still bandaged and in a splint. Glancing into the garden, he saw Star standing with her back to him, her body shaking. Walking over, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong, Star," he asked as she turned around, her face streaked with tears.

"Kyo, do you love me?"

"You know I do; what brought this on?"

She gave a sad smile, sniffing as she wiped away her tears. "Kyo, I love you so much, but..."

"But what? What's going on, Courtney?"

She wrapped her arms around him, holding on tightly. Looking up into his eyes, she bit her lip.

"It's time for you to wake up, Kyo."

She kissed his lips, everything around them going white.

Kyo's eyes fluttered open, a soft beeping noise pulsating through the air. He realized that he was in an unfamiliar bed, even though he was still disoriented.

"Oh thank God! Doctor! Someone! He's awake!" a voice cried.

There were rushed footsteps into the room, followed by a bright light in his eyes.

"Can you tell me your name," an unfamiliar voice asked.

"Kyo Soma, what's going on?"

"Do you remember what happened?"

"Wha?"

"Kyo!" a girl screamed, clamping her arms around him.

"Kagura? What's going on?" he slowly sat up, even this movement difficult for him.

Looking around, he saw that he was in a hospital room. To his left, the doctor was talking to a nurse, while around the rest of the bed was Kagura, Tohru, Shigure, and even Yuki and Haru.

"What's going on, you guys? One minute I was back at the house with Star, and the next- where _is_ Star, anyway?"

"Kyo," Tohru said softly, "who's Star?"

"Very funny, Tohru," he said. "Trying to make me think that you don't remember your own friend?"

"Kyo, you really _don't _remember what happened, do you?"

"Shigure, what are you talking about?"

"You were fighting with Yuki, and he hit you backwards, hitting your head on the star railing; you've been in a coma for almost a year now."

"I- what?" Kyo couldn't fully process the information.

"Where's Star? I need to talk to Courtney."

"Kyo, who are you talking about?"

He looked at Haru, disbelief written across his face. "So...it was all a dream?"

"Kyo," Kagura said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I don't know what was going on in your head, but, there's no one named Courtney, or Star, or whatever here. There never was."

Kyo looked down at his hands, letting all this sink in. So, he'd been in a coma for a year, there was no exchange program, and there was no Courtney Stardust.

"Kyo..."

He ignored Kagura, tears slowly falling from his eyes onto his hands.

**Review, Please, and I'll be putting out the epilogue shortly.**

**Serenity  
Goddess of the Moon  
**


	12. Epilogue

**A/N: Le epilogue. This is it, everyone, it's finally done after two years. A huge thank you to everyone that's stuck with this; you have no idea how much that means to me.**

_**Epilogue**_

Three months. That's how long it had been since Kyo had woken up and discovered that everything had been a figment of his imagination. Hatori had been giving him anti-depressants to take, but he was still really down. He had to catch up on everything from school, which he managed to do finally, not to mention stop several rumors circulating about his absence.

He had come to terms with the fact that everything was completely fictitious. He could even understand everyone's concern for his well-being. What he was having the most trouble getting, though, is that he had fallen in love with something so unreal that it became perfection to him.

"That's why everything about her was so perfect," he had realized when he began to accept it. "I created her, so I made her everything I could have wanted."

"And why do you think your subconscious created her," Hatori asked while Kyo was at his office.

He thought for a moment. "I guess...I guess that I just wanted someone, to love, and to be loved by."

Hatori nodded. "So are you doing better, Kyo?"

Kyo shrugged. "I'm trying to accept that I fell in love with something unreal; how do you think I'm doing?"

The doctor sighed. "Kyo, I want you to take today and think about it all, okay? The fact that everything seemed so real to you means that there's probably someone out there for you; you just haven't met that person yet. Realize that in order to accept that, you need to move beyond the fantasy world you created."

Kyo nodded, walking out into the summer air. He knew Hatori was probably right, but he just wasn't ready to deal with it yet. A part of him felt like it had died when he'd regained consciousness; a part that he couldn't find right now.

He walked down the sidewalk, staring up at the sky. He wasn't ready to go back to the house, where all their prying eyes would be watching his every move, asking him if he needed anything, when he just wanted to be left alone. Just wanted to get lost in his own thoughts, like he was doing now. So wrapped up, in fact, that he didn't see the person in front of him until they collided.

"Gomen," he said, seeing that he had sent a girl sprawling to the ground, maps, books and papers littering the sidewalk. Bending over, he began to pick them up, his hand suddenly running into hers.

"Thanks," she said in English, before biting her lip. "Um," she said, trying to formulate the Japanese words she needed. "You...know where..." she sighed, giving up. "Do you speak English?"

They were both standing up, holding her things. Kyo looked at her, blinking once. She was around his height, with an average body and tan skin. She had straight, brown hair past the shoulders, tipped in red, and bright green eyes that were rimmed with black eyeliner. Wearing a pair of blue jeans with holes in the knees, a black tank top, and a lot of punk jewelry, Kyo wasn't used to seeing anyone like her.

"Yes, I speak English," he told her, handing her back her things.

"Oh thank God," she cried. "Um, do you happen to know where I could find the Nanaka Theatre? I've been trying to figure it out for hours, and I'm supposed to be there at three..."

"Yeah," Kyo said, pulling one of the maps she had out of her hands. "We're here, so you need to head straight, take a left, then take the second right here, and it'll be a big pavilion dead ahead; you can't miss it."

"Oh thank you so much! Do you happen to have the time?"

"Two thirty-three," he said, glancing at his watch. "You're performing, I take it?"

"Yeah, I told my band mates that I'd be there in half-an-hour, and stupid me thought I could find it and get there before them, when all I did was get myself even _more _lost!"

Kyo had to smile, something he hadn't done in a while. "Maybe I'll try and get there for that; what time do you start?"

"Three fifteen," she said. "It was nice meeting you..."

"Soma," he said. "Soma Kyo."

"Yes, nice meeting you, Kyo Soma. I'm sorry for being an ignorant American, but please call me Katie; Katie McMullan. Thanks again for the directions; um, maybe I'll see you there!"

Katie quickly walked off after he handed over the rest of her things. Looking over his shoulder, he watched her round the turn. She reminded him of someone, even though that person never really existed.

Getting ready to continue walking, he stopped short. Looking at the ground, he saw a lanyard in front of him. Picking it up, his eyes went a bit wide at the orange cat's-eye bead in the middle, a small black cat on the material around it. Kyo looked back over his shoulder, then in front of him, and back at the bracelet again.

Sliding the bracelet on his wrist, he turned around, walking off in the direction of the pavilion, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

**That's it, it is done. No more, finito! THANK GOD! I'll be spending a lot of time on other stuff here, not to mention things on Quizilla, so feel free to check out some better-written pieces of material! It's been fun, but all good things must come to a close. Reviews, please!**

**Serenity  
****Goddess of the Moon**


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